3 stars. I appreciate what the message and heart of this book is, but it did not really do anything for me. Review to come.

Due to being a high school English teacher, I am often behind on writing reviews. Here is a summary of my initial thoughts.

This is Melissa Zaldivar’s first book. She is mature beyond her years, having been to seminary and choosing a road of stretching her faith instead of settling for an easy road. She is deeply honest about the things God is teaching her and lessons learned through wrestling with Him.

There was a lot I enjoyed about this book. I found myself highlighting a lot of things on my kindle copy. When I finished the book, I wasn’t sure what the author wanted the reader to take away from the book. To live with a kingdom mindset? To draw closer to God to whom the Kingdom belongs?

In the book, Melissa shared thoughts on several Bible stories, including Naomi and Ruth, Peter, and Joshua. I especially appreciated the insights on Peter’s and Joshua’s lives.

Several thoughts on the Kingdom of God will stick with me, “The Kingdom of God is simple: It’s a gut instinct that we learn to listen to over time. It’s a nudge or a whisper that reminds us that this time that we hoard and the schedules we protect and the to-do lists we manage are actually not the main thing at all.” I definitely struggle with wanting to keep my time under my own control, but I also desperately want to learn to hear and obey His promptings. I’m submitted to the Lord’s pruning in my life.

“If the beauty of the Kingdom surrounds us, and we are called to proclaim it, the enemy wants to silence us...He makes us second-guess and doubt that simple Kingdom instinct in the hopes we will retrain our eyes to see less. If the Kingdom gives us eyes to see, the enemy will do everything he can to distort the image.”

A good debut from a new author. I commend her for stepping out into new territory and for speaking what God placed on her heart. I hope to do the same someday. I would give this a solid 3.5 rating.

I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good book for millennials or young adults wondering about Christianity and what it means. It is also good for young Christians wondering about their life and faith. Zaldivar writes of her own experiences and struggles with the meaning of faith and the reality of the Kingdom of God and His presence. She shares the lessons she has learned so far in her three decades of life.

She encourages us to train our eyes to see the Kingdom of God. It is often right before us but we have no idea what we are looking for. Her chapter on the presence of God was well written and is good for readers who have been disappointed in God, feeling He was absent during a painful time. I appreciate Zaldivar's encouragement to trust God even when we do not understand the mystery of His actions.

This book is good for millennials because it deals with the kind of faith relationships and struggles they experience. Zaldivar is much more relational in her faith than my baby boomer generation was. She shares many stories from her decade of counseling sessions, for example. Counseling is something my generation would not have even admitted to experiencing.

This book is also good for older readers to understand the faith life of younger Christians. Zaldivar writes she is of a “generation that was told that adventure and hype were the only way to do your faith.” (1865/2208) Reading this book helped me, a senior citizen, understand much better how young people are exercising their faith today.

Food for thought: “Everything in this life boils down to Kingdom and Presence.” (208/2208)

I received a complimentary uncorrected egalley of this book from the publisher. Quotes I have given may have been changed in the final edition of the book. My comments are an independent and honest review.