The heart of what I do:
Bible studies for individual or group study
Click on any book to purchase
As women, we face unique pressures and demands from our noisy, fast-paced society. If you’re sick of the world’s pressures and pace but also afraid gentle and quiet are not words that describe you, there is still hope!
Through 12 chapters, you’ll be encouraged and challenged to pursue the unfading beauty described in 1 Peter chapter 3. Don’t be discouraged or deterred by the misplaced values of a loud, harsh world. Start seeking God’s standard of worth instead!
Order your copy here.
What do you do when life hurts?
You need more than bubbly inspiration to see you through life’s storms. You need a God who meets you in the blurry confusion of heartache and carries you through to the other side.
Discover how to find faith when things don’t make sense, adopt a hope-filled perspective in hard times, receive grace for when you fail, and so much more!
Whether you’re navigating hurt right now or fortifying your faith for the days to come, You Can Trust God When Life Hurts will help you live with hope in God no matter what comes your way. Order your copy here!
Listen to “Little Things” for the audiobook of “You Can Trust God When Life Hurts.” Click here!
There’s a lot of talk these days about self-care. We’re encouraged to get outside and take time for ourselves.
While it’s important to care for our mental and physical health, too often we overlook the care of our souls.
There’s nothing that comes even remotely close to the care of our souls. Our physical bodies die, and all our efforts at taking care of them expire. But our souls live on for eternity.
This book helps you care for the most important part of your being-your soul. It will challenge you to prioritize care for your soul. Through practical, biblical wisdom it will guide you to lasting peace, rest and joy as you nurture your spiritual well-being.
By Pastor Mike Novotny and Amber Albee Swenson
Showing people love feels really complicated these days. Does love mean agreeing with everything someone does or overlooking what they do? Is love mostly tender and rarely tough or mostly tough and rarely tender? And who are you supposed to show love to anyway?
We need a refresher course on Love 101. And for that we need to take a closer look at the best example of love to ever walk the earth … Jesus.
Since God is love and Jesus is God, he is the embodiment of love itself and provides the prime example for us to follow. And in this book by Pastor Mike Novotny, you’ll discover how you can love like Jesus in today’s fractured world. Jesus strikes the perfect balance of tenderness and toughness as he demonstrates that real love is doing what’s best for someone else.
Complete with a Bible study written by friend and colleague Amber Albee Swenson, What Is Love? brings you back to the basics of what Christian love should look like and how you can start applying it more completely in your everyday life.
A book of Bible studies for mothers about mothers in the Bible
What advice would mothers in the Bible give moms today? Read about some mothers you maybe haven’t heard about. Search the Scriptures for topics related to each mother’s life. Then find practical ways to apply these truths to your life. Being a Christian mother can be hard, but you don’t have to do it alone.
A Bible study on the Fruit of the Spirit
In God’s Orchard: Cultivating the Fruit of a Spirit-Filled Life offers an in-depth women’s Bible study on the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. This book shows how God nurtures these fruits, how the sinful nature impacts them, how Jesus demonstrated them perfectly, and how the gospel helps them blossom and flourish. Each of the nine Bible lessons features application and discussion questions with room to write down thoughts. Work through love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control privately or in a small or large women’s Bible study group.
Bible studies based on women in the Bible who weren't necessarily mothers
If we’re willing to look, we’ll find the lessons the women of the Bible would teach us. Servant leadership vs. grasping for power, self-sacrifice vs. bitterness; how do we overcome obstacles while being open to advice? Can we learn to worship unabashedly? It’s all there! Each study has a devotion and sections for discussion and application.
A great, easy read,
perfect for small group study
Five everyday people. One powerful God. This book reviews the ordinary lives of five people in the Bible who shared one common trait. They dared to come as they were for the God they served. And as they did, they changed the world around them.
Just as it was then, so it is today. Chosen for More contains truths that will captivate you by reminding you that in our everyday lives, God uses everyday people in powerful ways. You. Us. Just as we are. We, who’ve been chosen as children of the King, have all the traits we need to fulfill the call that he has for our lives.
Grow through the process
"Borderline" gives you an inside look into seven "little" deadly sins that have become increasingly acceptable in the world, and in the church. Whether referring to pride, envy, sloth, gluttony, coveting, anger, or lust, Borderline is a warmly conversational, yet thought-provoking read, that reminds believers culture influences us too. When we see some sins as small and others more significant, it's compromise. This book will inspire and reset your views. And it'll remind you of the power of God's unconditional love and grace to guide you.
My novels
Meghan's coming of age and first years of marriage
The Whisper Theory:
Meghan Shanahan is confident in her Christianity, if not a bit self-righteous . When she moves in with Jeff and Carol, her two unbelieving college roommates, she begins to unravel.
Meghan thought she could save Jeff, but in the first three months of college, she’s breaking more rules than she’s keeping. Even worse, she finds herself falling in love with Jeff.
The Bread of Angels:
If you are broken and looking for healing, you might want to read “The Bread of Angels.” Meghan’s world turned upside down as secrets surface, choices lead to brokenness and dreams are shattered. What do we do when we don’t have anything left to hold onto? Where do we go when every road loads to more pain?
