Fruit of My Spirit [Paperback]

Deanna Nowadnick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2012

In a memoir of missteps and misdeeds, Deanna Nowadnick writes of the hugeness of God's love and faithfulness. Reframing life in God's grace, she discovers an indescribable, indefinable, inexplicable love that has encircled her without fail through joyous, sad, cringe-worthy, heartwarming, forgettable, memorable moments in life. Fruit of My Spirit is for anyone who's ever questioned God's ability to love and forgive, who's ever wondered about their place in God's family or God's place in theirs. Nowadnick offers hope for those who dare to question, who secretly wonder, and who fear to ask. Through stories of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, you will experience the enormity of God, too.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fruit of My Spirit is beautifully written with intelligence and vulnerability.  Every part of Deanna's journey is moving, emotional, touching, and will inspire the reader to seek how God brings about His fruit in their own spirit."
Rev. Dr. Robin J. Dugall
pastor, professor, musician, teacher and follower of Jesus
 

From the Back Cover

Is there really a place in God's heart for a defiant child?
In His divine plans for a self-centered teenager?
In His family for an adult who gets tired and impatient?
 
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
The Apostle Paul in His Letter to the People of Galatia
 
In a memoir of missteps and misdeeds, Deanna Nowadnick writes of the hugeness of God's love and faithfulness.  Reframing life in God's grace, she discovers an indescribable, indefinable, inexplicable love that has encircled her without fail through joyous, sad, cringe-worthy, heartwarming, forgettable, memorable moments in life.

Fruit of My Spirit is for anyone who's ever questioned God's ability to love and forgive, who's ever wondered about their place in God's family or God's place in theirs.  Nowadnick offers hope for those who dare to question, who secretly wonder, and who fear to ask.  Through stories of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, you will experience the enormity of God, too.

This is Deanna Nowadnick's first book.  What started as short story for her sons quickly became a larger story.  When not writing, she serves as the Client Service Coordinator for a financial advisor.  She's active in her church, playing the violin and editing the monthly newsletter.  She loves to knit, adores chocolate, and most important, enjoys a blessed marriage to Kurt.  Deanna lives in Monroe, WA.  
 

Product Details

• Paperback: 114 pages
• Publisher: Rhododendron Books (January 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0983589720
• ISBN-13: 978-0983589723
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,535,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Deanna Nowadnick is a native of the Pacific Northwest. When not writing, she serves at the Client Service Coordinator for The Planner's Edge, an investment advisory firm in Washington State.

Deanna is active in her church, playing the violin and editing the newsletter. She loves to knit, adores chocolate, and most important, enjoys a blessed marriage to Kurt. She's also the proud mother of two adult sons. Her first book, Fruit of My Spirit, began as a short story for Kyle and Kevin about how she met their father. It quickly became a much larger story about God's love and faithfulness.

Deanna is currently working on her second book: Signs of Life--Meeting God at the Corner of Grace and Mercy.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars making it real July 27, 2012

By Pamela Barrett VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

From the moment I began reading the preface of Fruit of My Spirit I chuckled; here was a writer I related to; a real person, close to my age, who responded to life like anyone else, her words not spiritually sugar coated: "I'm impatient whenever life has the audacity to thwart my plans. I get frustrated whenever life presents a detour or a hurdle." Oh yeah...Amen sister, preach it!

Deanna's memories of love, marriage, family, her childhood, her teen years and adulthood are down to earth, sometimes funny even embarrassing and I know that many people will be helped by her way of seeing Gods hand in even the most trying times. Her book helped me, and that's miracle because I've been in the midst of one of the hardest years of my life. It made me happy to start each day, these last 2 weeks, reading a chapter. It was good to look at my circumstances in a different light.

As Christians, Deanna reminds us that to be a Christian doesn't mean we are perfect, and perfection doesn't matter because God loves us just the way we are, in spite of our short comings. Anyone who is not a Christian will read her memoir and get insight into those "not so perfect" relatives that keep bugging them to go to church. The thing is, we didn't just "arrive" in holiness when we said yes to Jesus--we arrive when we enter heaven, all else is the time we spend preparing to be ready, and sharing the love of God. I'm giving five stars to this little book (90 pages) with hope that you will pick one up and let God's grace touch you through her message. Hurry now, go read Galatians 5:22-23 and find out about the fruit of the Spirit.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fruit Of The Spirit - A Book Women Can Relate To November 24, 2012

By Create With Joy

Format:Paperback

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Philippians 1:6:

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I like this verse because it assures us that no matter how rough around the edges we are - and no matter how bumpy a ride we may encounter along life's way - God is never finished with us. He has the power to use every encounter and experience to completely transform our lives!

First-time author Deanna Nowadnick has experienced this process firsthand. In her beautiful memoir, Fruit Of My Spirit - Reframing Life In God's Grace, Deanna provides us with a powerful testimony of how God has used the ordinary moments of her life to shape and transform her - and offers encouragement that He can do the same for us!

Fruit Of My Spirit is cleverly constructed around Galatians 5:22-23, the "fruit of the spirit" passage:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law.

In each chapter, Deanna uses a different "fruit of the spirit" as the framework for her storytelling. She shares poignant stories about how God has used her life experiences - both good and bad - to shape her into a woman who is more loving, more joyful, more peaceful, more patient, more grace-filled and more self-controlled than when she began her life journey!

Deanna is a natural storyteller who writes with grace, transparency and authenticity. Because the book is short, I savored each of her stories as well as the family photos at the beginning of each chapter. I also appreciated the inclusion of her favorite hymns, which add to the devotional aspects of the book.

I found Deanna to be a highly relatable author, and I truly enjoyed reading this book. I think you will too.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from the author for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review, nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for Any Woman! October 9, 2012

By Giveaway Gal

Format:Paperback

All I can say to this book is, WOW! I have been reading this slowly and savoring the different ideas and aspects that are brought out in this amazing book. The whole idea of God's love being so big we can't even imagine the depth. You get Deanna's story and her love story. I am so in awe of this wonderful lady and how she has lived her life. No, she isn't perfect, but she wants to serve the Lord and this is something I respect. This is a story of a real person who has a real struggle just like we all do. But her story is amazing and the concept behind God's love is brought out so vividly. This is an excellent book for any woman. Any woman at all! Not just those who need reassurance or those who need that reminder of God's love, but anybody. Loved it!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation. All thoughts are 100% mine.