Essentials for Life: Your Back-to-Basics Guide to What Matters Most

by Marcia Ford

True enjoyment in life is found by focusing on the essentials. A growing number of people recognize their need for a reliable guide for their life's journey. Essentials for Life fills that need by helping readers get back to the basics of what matters most with a fresh perspective on four core essentials of the Christian Essentials for Life offers fifty daily or weekly readings that each include a key life-guide principle, scripture and quotes, meditation, an interesting fact, and a unique application suggestion. Each discussion offers hope and a sense of peace and well-being by focusing on life with an eternal perspective. The content offers spiritual truth while the interior graphic design, which includes sidebars and visuals, enhances the readability and the impact of each core essential.

222 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2010

Reviews

[Seth Comfort · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book Essentials for Life by Marcia Ford. This is a great book that offers spiritual and Biblical truths that can be applied to all aspects of life. The book is comprised of 50 short chapters touching on the "essentials" for life. Of course, and the author says this too, this isn't an all encompassing list, but it definitely hits a lot of very essentials for living. I really enjoyed how much scripture is packed into this book. Each chapter identifies several scriptural references for further investigation. The book hits the big questions first, such as chapter 1, "Answer the Big Question" and then chapter 3 "Seek the Truth About Jesus." It also touches on topics of how to forgive, how to simplify your living and honoring your family. Each chapter also includes a section at the end of the chapter that summarizing the chapter into "Do's" and "Don'ts" I think that will be very helpful as a reference in the future. The book is also chalked full of interesting notes and quotes that encourage and challenge my thinking.
For me, a lot of the chapters were good reminders and encouragement to daily living. I was stretched in my thinking and challenged to make some changes in my life! I really enjoyed the chapter on reading the Bible and the chapter of meditation of scripture. During this season of Lent, our church studied spiritual disciplines and one of those talked about was the discipline of study, having that context in my mind really drove home the point of daily scripture study. "No one ever graduates from Bible study until he meets its Author face to face" - Everett Harris, that was a quote included in the book which I thought was great and encouraging. All in all, I thought this is a great book and will be helpful as a reference in the future. I would recommend it.

[Jacquline · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading this book, I was more confused than I started. Ford has many contradictions in the book. Also, she uses different translations of the Bible, whatever translation that fits her needs. I don't like that. If one is going to quote the Bible consistently throughout his or her book, then stick to one translation. It's confusing for readers to follow all the different translations, especially if it sounds like something from a novel, not from the Bible. Although Ford brings up very interesting points, I was confused about some topics that she brought up. For example, the Holy Spirit. She contradicted her points about the spirit. I'm still unclear on what or who the Holy Spirit is. In addition, some of the sections barely talk about God. This is supposed to be a religious book, so there are supposed to be plenty of Bible verses to back up points, but in a few chapters, God is barely mentioned. On a positive note, she sometimes used real stories to support her topics. For example, she talked about giving, and Ford used a story of an old woman who was forced to retire and gave most of her money away to charity. This is a real example that as people, we can easily follow, maybe not that extent, but close enough. Lastly, Ford uses beautiful verses from the Bible t support the topics for each chapter while also encouraging readers to pick up the Bible to find all the answers that they need. Overall this book was great for finding God and serving Him, but I wished that she stuck to one translation to make it easier for readers to find specific verses. It's not like readers carry around every translation.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be read as a guidebook to rediscovering what is most important in life, or as a daily devotional to offer that bit of calm in a hurried and stressful life. Ford offers a way to "pause in the middle of it all to remember what's essential and what we truly value."

It is a beautifully rendered book, broken down into fifty concepts that offer spiritual insight using Ford's concise and modern prose, scriptural references, and relevant quotes. In the sidebars of many pages there are also notes of interest, as well as scriptures, that lend this book to be used as a jumping-off point, of sorts, to other study.

For me, this book would be one that I would return to in times of upheaval or uncertainty and just read a few chapters at random. It feels as though this book would contain answers, or at least hope, in times of need. This is a book that I could reach for when that anchor starts to slip.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Jessica Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book on sale for really cheap and thought it looked good. It was a very simple read...It is for Christians to expand their basic knowledge of what they believe. Personally, I learned many lessons from this book and I would recommend it to any Christians! If you want to know more about our faith and learn how to explain certain subjects or just how to live a better life, you should definitely read it.