When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams: Hope for Today from 12 Women of the Bible

Jill Eileen Smith

Feb 2019 · Revell

About this ebook

Life is full of twists and turns. Relationships falter, careers fizzle, health fades. We may be faced with choices we never wanted to make or have situations pushed upon us we'd never expected. Yet, in all of it, God is at our side--even when he feels far away.

Drawing on her extensive research into women of the Old Testament, novelist Jill Eileen Smith turns her pen to the lessons in trusting God that we can learn today from women like

- Eve
- Noah's wife
- Sarai
- Hagar
- Lot's wife
- Rebekah
- Rachel
- and more

Readers will learn from what these ancient women did right--and even what they did wrong--when faced with dashed expectations and deferred dreams. And they'll come away with the confidence that ours is a faithful God who loves us and is forming us through our trials into the women he longs for us to be.

Ratings and reviews

I have read several of this authors biblical fiction books about wives in the Bible. I enjoyed them and found I had a hard time putting them down. Most I read in one sitting. This new book When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams is similar to her prior works but it contains so much more. I had this on my TBR list for awhile, and yet things happened that I was unable to get to it. I love it when God gives you just what you need, when you need it. That is what happened with Jill's novel. We learn so much from some of the most well know females mentioned in the Bible. Yet there are others we have heard very little about but have great life lessons as well. I enjoy Jill's wonderful since of wonder and creation. She has a way of making a location or setting come to life. I found that to be true throughout this book. Each character has her own little novella. From there, Jill takes us back to modern day to relate those object lessons to things in our own life. This is where I learned so much and God spoke to me about some things in my life. I found myself highlighting several pages in each chapter. One of the first and very important things that I was reminded of comes form this quote of Jill's. “Fear simply makes us cling too tightly to what isn't ours in the first place. Everything we have comes as a gift from our loving God. We get to enjoy these things for a time, but they do not belong to us. I needed to let go.” One more great thought and I will stop because I could go on and on. “We have a loving Shepherd who wants to rescue us. He gives us the picture of the Father who waits for the prodigal to return or the shepherd who searched the sills and fields for the pit where his lamb has fallen (emphases mine.) He is the one who isn't satisfied with ninety—nine sheep. I would recommend this book to every women to read. I received a copy from Revell Publishing through NetGalley. The opinions in this review are my own.

When Life Doesn’t Match Your Dreams by award winning biblical fiction author Jill Eileen Smith is an inspirational non-fiction book perfect for women of all ages. Jill Eileen Smith uses her extensive biblical research and the stories from the Bible to allow her readers to relate the situations that twelve women from Old Testament faced with struggles that women today encounter in society. This book encourages readers to use the lessons from the women of the Old Testament to reflect on their own lives and to always trust in God. The women from the Old Testament included in this book are Eve, Adah (Noah’s Wife), Sarai, Hagar, Melah (Lot’s Wife), Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Dinah, Aneksi (Potiphar’s Wife), Tamar, and Zipporah. Each chapter begins with a section titled, “If I were…” and tells the story from the Bible from each of the twelve women’s point of view. Jill Eileen Smith’s detailed descriptions included in the “Imagine with me” sections allow the readers empathize with each of the women from the Old Testament and get a better understanding of what the women experienced. She also connects each of the stories to current events and real-life stories of her own that readers can relate to. The chapters conclude with statements to ponder and thought-provoking questions for self-reflection. These discussion questions can be used individually to further the reader’s own spiritual growth or can be used in a group setting as a book club discussion. This fascinating book will truly be a inspiration to every woman who reads it. I definitely recommend this book! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams: Hope for Today from 12 Women of the Bible by Jill Eileen Smith is her first nonfiction book and I hope not her last. We've all been there, living life the best way we know how and no matter what in any given situation our life just doesn't match our dreams. In this book Jill gives us biblical examples of women going about their daily lives as best as they can responding to situations the right way and the wrong way and trying their best to just hold on. After reading their stories you can have confidence that God loves you and the trials that you go through are developing you into the woman God wants you to be. I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.

About the author

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, The Loves of King Solomon, and Daughters of the Promised Land. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan. Learn more at www.jilleileensmith.com.