Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food
Author: Lysa Terkeurst
Genre: Christian, Non-Fiction, Bible Study
Publication Date: December 14, 2010
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 978-0310293262
Page Count: 218
Source: I received a free copy of this book and DVD from the publisher for an honest review. This did not influence my opinion of either the book or DVD.
About the book: Just because a woman finally fits into her skinny jeans doesn’t mean she’s won her battle with food. Too often, women overlook the spiritual component to their physical struggle with healthy eating. Made to Crave taps into the desires God gave you to consume food without letting food consume you!
Made to Crave
About the DVD series: If you want to maximize your experience and bring these teachings to life in a way you’ll never forget, you’ll want to order the full set of resources. Adding the DVD teaching series and the workbook will motivate you to get healthy without feeling deprived, lose the weight in a permanent way, and find the peace your body, mind and soul desires. This DVD study can be done in a group or by yourself.
The Bundle is only available through Proverbs 31 Ministries, so click here to order! http://madetocrave.org/purchase-resources/
Made To Crave Book Trailer:
My Thoughts:
The first thing that hit me about this book is the way Lysa Terkeurst defines what the book IS and what it IS NOT. Made to Crave is NOT a “how-to” book. You will NOT find meal plans, exercise routines, or nutritional information in this book. There is a local bookstore near you chock full of books like that. Made to Crave IS a book about finding your “want-to”. Through sound biblical teachings, Lysa explores our cravings for food and what fuels them and ways that we can combat those urges when they strike – by turning to God.
Some of you may be reading this and saying to yourself, “Yeah, right!” Believe me, I thought so, too! Until I read this book, I never really thought about the connection between food and God. The two just never connected for me. I mean, why should God care about what I eat? Trust me – Lysa explores all of these issues, with humor and wit, in both the book and DVD sessions that will make you rethink your entire relationship with food. Check out this powerful statement from Terkeurst (page 14):
In addition to helping you find the desire to conquer your unhealthy craving, [this book} also holds the key to something very significant for most of us women – spiritual malnutrition. We feel overweight physically but underweight spiritually. Tying these two things together is the first step on one of the most significant journeys you’ll ever take with God.
Wow! I must have read that a handful of times. This is such an important message for so many women. Lysa goes on to say (p. 20-21):
Yes, we were made to crave – long for, want greatly, desire eagerly, and beg for – God. Only God. But Satan wants to do everything possible to replace our craving for God with something else.
What do you crave more than you crave God?
The book can be read on its own or I highly recommend doing the 6-week Bible Study. At the end of each chapter there are Personal Reflection questions to help you go deeper into the book and to have you think about your own experience with food. At the end of the book, there are two sections that I want to highlight. One is called “Verses By Chapter”; the second is titled “Healthy Eating Go-To Scripts”. “Verses by Chapter” lists all of the scriptural references that Lysa mentions during each chapter, in one handy location. So, if you can’t remember where you saw a specific Bible verse, check out this section in the back for a quick reference to find what you are looking for. The “Healthy Eating Go-To Scripts” section offer you scripture to turn to when you are tempted or are feeling week. This is a great place to turn for an extra dose of encouragement!
The DVD study is set up in a similar way to the book. There are 6 sessions
plus 1 bonus session with the opportunity for reflection at the end of the session (a Participant’s Guide is included with the DVD for further study). This was my first experience with a DVD Bible Study and I have to say that I will be looking for many more in the future. I got a lot out of the book itself, but actually listening to Lysa speak, it was a different experience and it reinforced the material that I was reading. The DVD is a powerful accompanying tool to use in your individual or small group Bible Study. I would definitely recommend it in conjunction with the Made to Crave book.
Overall Opinion: I would highly recommend this study as an additional tool to use in your healthy lifestyle journey. Don’t forget to consult a doctor before starting any nutritional or exercise regimen.
About Lysa: Lysa TerKeurst is an author and speaker who helps everyday women live an adventure of faith through following Jesus Christ. As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa has led thousands to make their walk with God an invigorating journey.
Lysa wrote the book Made to Crave from the perspective of a woman who has never craved a carrot stick in her whole life. Having struggled with her weight her whole adult life, Lysa knows what it feels like to be in the vicious cycle of gaining and losing, but never feeling at peace in her struggle. Everything changed when Lysa decided to have her deepest desire met by God not food. Now, armed with the spiritual motivation she gained in her own journey, she is inspiring others to find lasting victory.
As a nationally known speaker, Lysa has been passionately teaching women God’s truths for years. Lysa’s personal adventures of following God led to appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The 700 Club, USA Today newspaper, Woman’s Day magazine, and Focus on the Family radio.
Today, Lysa and her ministry team at Proverbs 31 Ministries encourage more than 375,000 women through their daily online devotional. In addition, she co-hosts a 1-minute inspirational radio program aired on more than 1,200 stations around the world. Plus, she touches hearts through their monthly magazine, P31 Woman. Lysa’s blog averages over 70,000 avid readers per month. She is the award-winning author of 14 books, including her newest releases, Made to Crave and Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl. Other noteworthy books include What Happens When Woman Say Yes to God, What Happens When Women Walk in Faith, Capture His Heart, and Capture Her Heart. Visit Lysa’s website for more info and to visit her blog! http://lysaterkeurst.com
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Wow. This sounds sensational. I've been wondering about this one.
FAB review!
It is really good. I really enjoy Lysa and am looking forward to getting more of her studies.
Great and quality inspirational content here. Will come back soon!