MOTION

Velo, a Christian women’s organization, coauthors its second collection of short, inspirational essays.

This book consists of 52 devotions meant to inspire women and help them apply God’s word to their daily routines. Each chapter consists of a short essay, a Bible verse and a section titled “What Say You?” which poses questions related to the lessons learned in the essay. Christian women will find many of these topics pertinent to modern living, such as one chapter noting that women often make exercising a more important part of their routine than studying the Bible. Likewise, readers will appreciate the book’s chatty, conversational voice and the occasional girly reference to pop culture or celebrities. Most of the essays are similar in tone, although a few do stick out as dry biblical lessons or generic “praise-the-Lord” texts. The most memorable chapters contain stories from the authors’ personal lives, but they often leave out simple, vital details that would truly intrigue readers. One woman describes feeling guilt and shame when she was arrested as a high school sophomore for making $63,000 distributing black-market items, but she neglects to explain what products she was selling, how she got caught or how she was able to accomplish this at such a young age. Another woman recalls leaving a six-year “toxic and abusive” relationship, but fails to divulge more information about the situation or how she gained the courage to leave. Motion’s strength lies in its ability to discuss serious topics and still remain a fun, enjoyable read, but some of the chapters are too simple or frivolous to inspire women. Longer, highly personal essays would move and challenge readers who want more than a quick fix.

Brisk devotions that are pleasant, but not insightful or challenging enough to make an impact.