Hussem's high view of scripture is encouraging and her prompts are relatable. She is clearly a gifted and articulate communicator of messages that rest one's focus on God and the glory He is innately owed. Her writing challenges the reader to go deep in their relationship with God.

Title: Awaken My Heart
Author: Emily Wilson Hussem
Genre: Devotional
Rating: 5 out of 5

Do you feel as if you are running on empty? Have you fallen asleep to the glory of God and his love being revealed to you each day?

Bestselling and award-winning author and popular YouTuber Emily Wilson Hussem has been there too. She invites you on a year-long transformational journey of practicing gratitude, becoming more closely aware of God’s presence in your every day and serving others in his name. These fifty-two reflections will help you cultivate a deeper prayer life, find freedom from the frenzy of tasks and the noise of the culture, and discover the lasting joy that can only blossom in a heart awakened to the beauty of God’s quiet, loving presence.

Awaken My Heart is an invitation to become aware of the presence of God in your life. Emily Wilson Hussem provides a roadmap for replacing busyness and distraction with intentional moments of noticing God’s abiding love and practicing gratitude for his many gifts—big and little blessings such as a visit from a friend, a call from your sister, the laughter of your children, a setting sun, or crumbs on the floor. These fleeting moments and everyday happenings can seem insignificant, but when you behold them with intention and thank God for making them possible, you’ll find yourself in regular conversation with Jesus, the lifeblood of your deep connection with God.

This fifty-two-week devotional blends spiritual insights, authentic vulnerability, and wise guidance for women of every age who want to have a heart fully awakened to God’s presence and the beautiful bouquet of blessings he’s put in your life. The reflection for each week includes a specific focus for the upcoming seven days. With stories, challenges, and insights into scripture, each reflection is designed to draw you deeper into awareness of Christ’s love and the love he is calling you to share with the world. Wilson Hussem also offers practical ways to choose to love—visiting the elderly, calling your mom, or pausing to pray for a special intention—that are simple enough for even the busiest lifestyle.

This is an excellent devotional! The illustrations the author uses are relatable and actionable. She’s not preaching, she’s just talking to you and telling you about things she’s experienced. There’s a reflection for the week, a soul exercise, and a prayer. This book invites you to deepen your relationship with Jesus while exploring what’s truly in your heart.

Emily Wilson Hussem lives in California. Awaken My Heart is her newest book.

(Galley courtesy of Ave Maria Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 11/30.)

This is now my new favorite devotional. And I don't say that lightly. Devotionals are just not "my thing." I don't know if I lack the discipline, if I don't do well with short readings, or if I just get bored too easily, but devotionals usually sit on my nightstand and gather dust. Then, however, I decided to give Awaken My Heart a try, and I am so very thankful that I did! Emily Wilson Hussem has such a beautiful writing style, and sets up her devotional in a way that I haven't encountered before; there's a reading and a reflection for each week, a soul exercise and a prayer. I found myself loving that the book is broken down into weeks, as opposed to days. It gave me more time to really reflect on that week's reading, allowing me the opportunity to ponder and mull over what I'd read. What surprised me the most, however, was that week after week, I kept returning to my devotional! I absolutely love it, and highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

I received an advance copy of, Awaken My Heart, by Emily Wilson Hussem. I liked this book, it has very relevant information on having a better relation with God. It has soul exercises, and weekly prayers.

Awaken My Heart: 52 Weeks of Giving Thanks and Loving Abundantly: A Yearly Devotional for Women can be summed up in one word: exquisite.

Author Emily Wilson Hussem has crafted a book that exquisitely explores the love of God for His cherished daughters. Her weekly devotions are designed to aid women to flourish in the spiritual life.

Her reflection on peace will resonate with many:

"Peace doesn't depend on the messiness of your current moment; it's about finding yourself in the heart of God to say, no matter what is happening in my life today, God is my refuge. He is my rock. He makes all things work together for the good of those who love him (Rom 8:28)."

Hussem includes "Soul Exercises" which help to stretch our spiritual muscles so that we can grow stronger in the love of Christ. Each weekly devotion ends with "Your Heart's Prayer," which gives voice to the longings within the female heart.

Awaken My Heart is, by far, one of the best spiritual books I have read this year, and I plan to return to it again and again in my walk with Christ.

This is a lovely devotional. It not only includes a reading and reflection for each week, there's also a "soul exercise" and prayer for the week. Sometimes I've read and reflected on the same passage once a week, but at other times I've read a different passage daily. I highly recommend this book for anyone who finds herself caught up in the busy-ness of life and who would like to slow down and see blessings in her daily life.