Customer Reviews

Becoming a Woman of Influence: Making a Lasting Impact on Others

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We are doing this book for our MOPS leadership bible study and it is so great. I am learning a lot from this book. It is a very easy read and takes no time. It also includes a great devotional in the back of the book- highly recommend!!

My Bible study/prayer group is using this book. We are finding it very practical and inspirational. We have enjoyed sharing our Christian walk through this study. As women who have prayed and studied together for over ten years, this is an excellent book about being a mentor to other women.

Becoming a Woman of Influence is about building relationships where you can say as Paul did, "Follow me as I follow Jesus" (1 Cor 11:1). This is not a "how to be a mentor" book, rather it presents 7 principles, drawn from Jesus' life, for developing life changing relationships.

I really believe that Kent held these principles close to her heart as she wrote Becoming A Woman of Influence not only just as the information in the book, but also as the content and tone of the book. So many books written for Christian women come across as guilt inducing and brow-beating. Becoming a Woman of Influence was a breath of fresh air. I could easily imagine sitting down at the kitchen table with Kent and, over a cup of tea, listening to her say "Let me tell you how intentional relationships have blessed me."

The only complaint I have about this book (and it is a minor one) is that many of the scripture references are quoted from The Message Bible. This is more a matter of personal preference. I am more familiar with the tone of the NIV or NKJV translations. On occasion, the more casual tone of The Message did not immediately signal to me "this is a Bible verse." On the good side, when I am reading, I have the bad habit of skipping quoted Bible verses. The unusual translation of the Bible used in Becoming A Woman of Influence meant that I rarely skipped reading the Bible quotes.

The best Christian books are the ones that act as signposts, faithfully pointing to God. The best Christian books are the ones that, when finished, send you to the Holy Bible, the Word of God to get more of "that", to experience more God. Becoming a Woman of Influence is that kind of book.

Unlike many books for Christian Women, this book did not leave me feeling like I have one more thing to add to my to-do list, rather it gave me a deep longing to better understand the life of Jesus.

Before I finished reading Becoming a Woman of Influence, I picked up my Bible and turned to Matthew chapter 1. As I read through a second time, I found Kent's book to be just as rich, just as deep, and just as inspiring as it was the first read through.

I give this book a solid 5 stars, an honor reserved for books that will find their home on my yearly reading shelf.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review 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 Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Summary
Becoming a Woman of Influence by Carol Kent is a book about intentionally influencing others through mentoring. By studying the life of Jesus as He mentored His disciples, Mrs. Kent has observed 7 life changing principles for making a lasting impact on others. She devotes a chapter to each. The seven principles she observed in Jesus' life are:

1. Spend time alone with God

2. Walk and talk with people

3. Storytelling

4. Asking people questions

5. Showing compassion

6. Practicing unconditional love

7. Cast a vision of what Jesus can do in the life of someone willing to give her potential to Him

A nine week Bible study is included in the back of the book that can be used for a personal or group Bible study.

My Opinion
I loved this book. It was spiritually refreshing and a pleasure to read. In Mrs. Kent words,"The sole purpose of this book is to inspire and equip women to impact lives as Jesus did." I was inspired, challenged, blessed and encouraged. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a difference in the lives others. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review 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 Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I was attracted to this read by the title but also because I've read a little about Carol Kent's life. Some of "the things" she's gone through in life have been more than I could bear. But Carol seems to be a woman of God who also puts her money where her mouth is . . . as an old saying goes.
Becoming A Woman of Influence isn't as most of us would think. The principles Carol includes is teaching women how to listen, how to hug in a crisis and simply learning how to help others.
The seven principles Carol includes in this book are:
The Principle of Time Alone with God
The Principle of Walking and Talking
The Principle of Storytelling
The Principle of Asking Questions
The Principle of Compassion
The Principle of Unconditional Love
The Principle of Casting Vision
The Principle of Unconditional Love stood out to me. Unconditional love is easy to give as a mom but boy.o.boy not sure if I really want to give this kind of love to others! Well. . . Carol's principle of unconditional love helped to see that it's following the heart of Jesus. No, we can't have a lot of these principles in our lives unless we allow Jesus to rule and reign. Carol's views and descriptions may help you to see beyond your four walls just as see helped me.
Carol also encourages the reader to have a heart relationship with God not a mediator relationship through a priest of pastor. This is good advice.
This is one of those 5 star reads that will make you think and pray. I want to be a woman of influence for Jesus. Not just spouting off scripture after scripture but showing by an example of a godly life.
Whether you're a young, single woman, a midlife mom or a grandma this is an excellent book for women of all ages and walks of life!
*I reviewed this book for NavPress*

I have had the pleasure of reading a number of Carol Kent's books in the past, so was very excited to be able to read Becoming A Woman of Influence.

As a mom, I know that just how easy (and important) it is to influence my children, but haven't really given it much thought as to how I influence other women in my life. That is until I read this book. It has really shown me how to live my life with intentionality and purpose. It gives seven principles to incorporate in your life to influence those around you, and either become, or find, a mentor for others. A fantastic read, with a great nine week study guide that will help you work through becoming a solid Titus 2 woman! The only thing that bugged me about the book was that most of the scripture references were from The Message by Eugene Peterson. Although I really enjoy this translation of the Bible, I feel that in a study book such as this one, the references should have been from a more literal translation like the NASB or ESV. Otherwise, a very solid, encouraging read that I highly recommend be read by all women, church leaders or not.

I really love Navpress. They are my favorite publisher to review books for. The quality of the books I receive have thus far never disappointed me. So I am excited to say yet again I am pleased with this product.

Becoming a Woman of Influence was a great read. The author writes like she is sitting beside you over coffee. She shares her life experiences along with the examples of Christ. She is a woman who has great insight into the proper way to be a mentor. This is something I have been giving a lot of thought to lately so this book came at just the right timing for me.

Mentoring relationships can be a bit intimidating at times but the author makes it easy. Really as we go and how we live speaks so much more than formally approaching someone to ask if they will mentor us. Some people will just naturally come alongside you as the Lord leads.

I also appreciated how she sought out women who she saw potential in. She invited them to come alongside her in different things she did. This developed great mentoring relationships. I do hope to do that myself. God has called us all to be mentors to someone. I appreciate the layout of this book and how it helps us meet this need.

One thing I can never say about Carol Kent is that she is boring - for she never is!

This book reveals deep insights concerning women growing into influential positions, and embracing women like these into our lives. She highlights main points that point directly to scripture, revealing that these insights truly did not come from herself - but from direction of her relationship with God.

Though it took me a couple of months to read the book (I just so happen to slowly digest good books like this), when I found myself reading the book, I discovered I had a hard time putting it down (but when my eyes are starting to close due to just be over tired, I do what I have to do).
Carol's style, grace, compassion and mercy flow through this book as the personal mentor she encourages all women to find in their own lives.

The companion 9-week study guide is excellent - and it prompts you to journal rather than fill in the blanks; which I find to be deeply helpful in learning and growth.

If you don't have a personal mentor in your life, please embrace this book until one enters into your life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review 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 Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements andTestimonials in Advertising."

One thing is certain: I do desire to be a woman who influences others to draw deeper into the love and life of Christ. When I saw this Carol Kent title available from NavPress I knew right away that it was one I wanted to read.

Kent bases her book around 7 principles drawn from examining the life of our Lord Jesus and gives us real-life application for implementing these principles into our lives as women. The keys she brings forth are:

1. Time alone with God
2. Walking and talking
3. Storytelling
4. Asking questions
5. Compassion
6. Unconditional love
7. Casting vision

The book is not a long one; there are a couple of introductory chapters and then one devoted to each of these principles. That made the reading interesting, since I knew there would be a different focus each time I picked it up.

My main complaint against this book would be the fact that Kent mainly uses The Message Bible when sharing Scripture. As a lover of the beautiful and lyrical King James version, I would often not catch that she was quoting a passage that I was very familiar with or even had memorized until she listed the reference at the end. I'd never read The Message Bible before but found it to be too informal and summarized for my personal taste.

There is a 9-week study guide included at the back that I did not have time to go through with this reading but I did take a peek at it and thought it looked very thorough and thought-provoking. Sometime I would like to go through and study it out as the author intended.

I found many helpful and practical ideas presented in the book. My favorite chapter was the one about asking questions to draw people out. I also liked how the focus was on us becoming like Christ so that He could draw others to Himself through us. That's where the difference really is: our own efforts will always fall short, but through Christ in us we can see other ladies brought to freedom and new heights in their relationship with Him. It is all about Him!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review 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 Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I am always encouraged by the books I get from NavPress. Becoming a Woman of Influence: Making a Lasting Impact on Others by Carol Kent was no exception. I feel like as I have read this, I've approached my day to day "disturbances" more as opportunities.

This book is all about having an impact on others. Kent talks candidly about how she became a woman of vision, seeking out God for opportunities to further his kingdom. The emphasis is on mentoring relationships and taking the time to build those types of relationships in our lives. She encourages readers to take the time to invest in someone else and to keep our eyes opened for opportunities to love others as Jesus loves us: unconditionally. I personally enjoyed reading about how to be a better storyteller, as well as using my own story to help other women. She emphasizes that our own story of pain and hardship opens a door to minister to others in their pain.

This book is split up into chapters, each one defining a way of how to become a woman of influence. To go deeper, there is a 9 week bible study at the end of the book to help the reader apply this to their lives. Through prayer, study, and a focus on eternity, Kent encourages all women to become a mentor to those around them and to keep on taking risks for God's kingdom and for His glory.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through NavPress blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review.