Transforming Your Thought Life

This was a wonderful book for Christians to understand the why and how of meditation. Sarah is genuine and addresses many potential benefits and roadblocks to Christian meditation.

This is a very good book. It teaches you how to replace negative thoughts with scriptures. This is a book I will read more than once. Thank you Abilene Christian University Press & Leafwood Publishers Leafwood Publishers via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I will be buying a hard copy of this book when it releases.

In her book Transforming Your Thought Life, Sarah Geringer provides an excellent guide for readers wanting to take captive their negative and overwhelming thoughts and make them obedient to Christ. She shows readers how the art of biblical meditation on Scripture helps to refocus one's thoughts and turn them back to truth. I found Geringer's book to be biblically sound and very practical, touching on a variety of subjects and giving readers practical tips and practices for developing new habits and patterns of thinking. It's a very useful, very practical, very down-to-earth book that you'll refer to over and again in your own life and as you encourage and spur on others in their faith.

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for this honest review. However, the opinions expressed are my own.

Indispensable For Focusing On Truth

I am so excited about Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation In Focus, by Sarah Geringer. I've been looking for a resource to help me with managing my thought life in a Biblical way and applying Scripture. Transforming Your Thought Life is the book I have been looking for!
My thoughts run wild it seems, and trying to stay focused on what is helpful and positive is very challenging. Prone to worry- ing, fear, and other unhealthy thoughts, I can ruin my day before it even starts. I have wanted to keep my mind centered on Scripture and be able to do more than just memorize verses. I've struggled with finding a method I could stick with, forming a lifelong habit.
Upon reading Transforming Your Thought Life, I found the resource that guides me toward healthy thoughts, with Scripture as my foundation. Sarah Geringer presents very practical ideas to meditate and focus on Scripture. She explains what Christian Meditation is; why it's so important for a healthy thought life; and how to apply Christian Meditation in practical ways every day.
Transforming Your Thought Life is my go-to, must-have resource for turning my thoughts toward what is true, to joy, to keeping a godly perspective throughout my day. I very highly recommend this indispensable book!

*I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation In Focus from the publisher. I was not obligated to post a review. The opinion stayed is my own. I have not been compensated in any way.*

It was the title of Sarah’s book which sparked my interest and her book did not disappoint me. In “Transforming Your Thought Life”, Sarah provides us with help and support which is both Scriptural and practical.

The chapters cover the different kinds of thoughts we have, such as negative, anxious, self-critical, angry, untrue thoughts and much, much more.

Her introduction is very helpful as she explains just what Christian meditation is, the many benefits of meditation and how to practice it.

What Sarah shares is not just head knowledge and her understanding of the Bible, she also shares out of her own experiences and the journey she has been on. In each chapter, she shares how she has struggled with each of these different kinds of thinking which helps the reader to connect with and relate to her. She also shares how meditation has helped to transform her own thought life which brings hope to the reader that they too can change. In each chapter, she unpacks a particular Bible verse or passage and provides the reader with a set of verses to meditate on. She ends with a prayer and some reflection questions.

For me, this book is a helpful resource as it provides help to grow closer to God and over time I believe anyone who reads this book and who puts into practice her suggestions will see a change and transformation in their own thought life. Also, all the verses she provides within this book are particularly helpful for meditating on, so it is the kind of book you can dip in and out of and refer back to when battling a certain area in your thought life.

I recommend this book to anyone who is aware of the struggles within their own thought life and want to change it so that their thoughts become more like God’s and less like the world’s. This book is for anyone who would like to understand more about Christian meditation and would like help with how to practice meditation based on God’s Word.

A devotional work written for a female audience to encourage meditation upon the Scriptures and prayer as a means by which to overcome difficulties, temptations, and distractions in thinking.

The author systematically works through many of the categories of such thinking - careless, negative, anxious, self-critical, other-critical, fearful, idolatrous, guilty, discontented, impure, painful, defeated, regretful, angry, unforgiving, self-focused, and untrue thoughts. For each she gives personal examples, explores where the issues come from and what they mean, and provides suggested Scriptures and a prayer for a way forward in meditation.

Designed as an introductory work for women, and focused on meditation on Scripture and prayer. Not a general work on meditation in a Christian perspective.

Very descriptive and very thorough.

As someone who has hand bouts of anxiety I was excited to read this book. My hope was to gain tools to cope.

It’s not a how-to manual but I did gain a new awareness and perspective of how to study the Bible and take my thoughts captive.

What a great book for any believer who would like to concur the negative thoughts that bombard our minds. Sarah Geringer encourages us, by equipping us with scriptures that can be used in this fight for control over our mind and heart. A very well done devotional for any one that can use some help in this area. I received a copy of this book from Leafwood Publishers through NetGalleys. The opinions expressed in this book are my own.

Transforming Your Thought Life
Christian Meditation in Focus

by Sarah Geringer

Abilene Christian University Press & Leafwood Publishers

Leafwood Publishers

Christian , Religion & Spirituality

Pub Date 01 Oct 2019



I am reviewing a copy of Transforming Your Thought Life through Leafwood Publishers and Netgalley:


This book reminds us that Meditation is not foreign to Christianity. We are reminded the importance of meditating on the kind of life God wants us to live. It is pointed out too that Christian Meditation helps you to have answers prepared in advance for evangelistic opportunities.



We are reminded too that transformation is a fight. The importance of meditating on God’s word is stressed.



The importance of meditating on God’s Word, and not allowing Anxious or Negative thoughts to take over.



We are encouraged too not to let thoughts of criticism of ourselves or others to take over our time of Meditation. We are warned too about the difference between harmful criticism and constructive criticism.


Transforming Your Thought Life reminds us of the importance of dealing with impure thoughts and part of that is to admit we all have them because we are human, and prone to sin. We are encouraged too not to linger where we may find those impure thoughts. Instead we are encouraged to pursue Holiness.


I give Transforming Your Life five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Christian women focusing on better mindfulness will find some gems here. Not every chapter is for every person, and that's okay. I certainly highlighted some passages in my Kindle version.

Our minds are always thinking. That's a good thing. But when our brains churn negative thoughts over and over, it leaves us drained and discouraged.

"You have an average of 60,000 thoughts every day, and up to 80 percent of those thoughts are negative. Almost all of today’s negative thoughts are recycled from yesterday’s negative thoughts."

Transforming Your Thought Life gives us a path forward to take captive a wide variety of thoughts.

Negative thoughts
Anxious thoughts
Self-critical thoughts
Fearful thoughts
Angry thoughts
Self-focused thoughts and more

Sarah Geringer methodically walks us through the process, step by step, to change our thought patterns from negative to God-honoring, using the power of the Holy Spirit through meditation on scripture and prayer.

Each chapter in the book has a key verse, personal and relevant stories from Sarah, a prayer, reflection questions, quotes from other authors, and a list of meditation verses related to the chapter's topic.

Training our mind to stay focused on truths, not lies, is not an easy road. But as we stay on the path, we will see fruit. I'm grateful for books like Sarah's that help us along our way.

"Taking control of your thought life takes practice. It may not feel natural or comfortable at first. It may feel painful to let go of deeply entrenched patterns of thought. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, your thought life will be transformed by God’s life and peace."

My thanks to Net Galley for the review copy of this book.

As a counselor/teacher I am always looking for tools to help women with taking their thoughts captive instead of allowing them to control them. This is a great book to help with that. I like the use of meditating on scriptures to stop the mind from running wild with destructive thoughts.
I recommend this book
I received an advanced copy and this is my own opinion.

Because of his size, our St. Bernard can’t be trusted with just any bone or chew toy. Large and practically indestructible, his favorite toy stays in the family room where it can keep him occupied on family movie nights. Sometimes we have to adjust the volume on the t.v. to accommodate the sound of Tucker’s enthusiastic meditations.

Isaiah 31:4 uses the word hagah to describe a lion’s growling over its prey, a word denoting total focus–as in the way Tucker savors his own precious bone. Typically, hagah is translated as “meditate” as in Psalm 1:2: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” The believer is called to a life of meditation, of chewing and swallowing, of entering fully into the experience of reading and knowing Scripture.

Sarah Geringer is one of those chewers and swallowers herself, and in Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus she invites readers into the practice of Christian meditation as a tool for absorbing, imbibing, feeding on, and ingesting truth as a substitute for error. Joining the likes of Thomas Chalmers, Geringer argues for the “expulsive power of a new affection” as God’s thoughts and values, communicated through the Bible, become a replacement for a host of negative mindsets that plague us and range on a bandwidth from negativity and passing discontent to crippling self-criticism, toxic unforgiveness, and debilitating anger or guilt.

Christian meditation, says Geringer, differs from other branches in that it is, “simply the practice of thinking about Scripture and communing with God.” (Loc 168) Through personal anecdotes and excerpts from excellent resources, she demonstrates that the spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, and social benefits are all well worth the effort of forging the habit of meditating and of making room for it in every busy day.

When we open the Bible and our minds at the same time, we enter the world of Truth. Spiritual reading accompanied by deep thinking serves as a source of nourishment for the believer who makes the commitment to chew, gnaw, and meditate on God’s Words–and then to follow all our reading and our thinking with actions that flow from loving obedience and a new heart.

Many thanks to Leafwood Publishers and Net Galley for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which, of course, is offered freely and with honesty.

Transforming Your Thought Life by Sarah Geringer is wonderful book about transforming your thoughts. In the book you will learn the diffinition of meditation, the benefits of meditation, and how to practice Christian meditation. This book will help you to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. Each chapter comes with reflection questions, meditation verses and prayer. I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with their thoughts or needs help meditating on Gods word.

4 stars
Transforming Your Thought Life by Sarah Gerringer is a solid book on using Scripture to turn negative thoughts into positive ones. I was really apprehensive about this book, I figured it would be more of a new-age hippie type boos and less Christian. I am so happy it is not that way at all! I gleaned a great deal from this book. I am even adding this to my re-read pile.
I think this is a great book that anyone would enjoy. I highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own.

Transforming Your Thought Life teaches a valuable lesson: as Christians, we need to focus on the truth of God’s Word. This might mean changing some of the thoughts that we dwell on. I liked that the reader was not directed to find truth within themselves but instead to focus on God who is truth.

Ms. Geringer used a lot of Scripture in this book, which I loved, I just wish some of the passages were included in the text so I didn’t have to stop and look up the text to get the idea she was trying to depict.

I enjoyed learning how to use Christian meditation as an effective measure against my daily challenges. I look forward to combing the Scripture for verses to add to my personal arsenal to battle the enemy.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publishers through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.