Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind- is one of the most powerful prescriptions for personal change that you'll find in the Bible. Looking for practical instructions on how to apply this verse to your life? Look no further than Kelly's amazing book!

You'll find everything you need - from relatable personal experiences, Scripture, exercises to complete and more - that will help you change the way you think, act and feel if you commit yourself to the process.

Have your highlighter in hand when you read!

A book with a lot of useful material on how to formulate and follow through as you battle strongholds in your life. The book was arranged in more of a workbook format than an easy reading format, but it was not a fill in the blank type workbook. Although I often pass on books once I've read them, this seems like the type of book that I'd like to have on hand to remind me of how to fight well when the occasion presents.

If you battle negative self-talk, and who doesn't, then this book will be a beneficial addition to your library.

I did have an advance reader version of this book but the opinions expressed were not influenced by that fact.

Fantastic book that digs deep into the Word of God. Be encouraged as you read the words from Kelly, that have been prayerfully written in a Godly way for us to learn from!

Finally, a plan to help you capture your renegade thoughts and return your focus to God.
July 3, 2018
Fear, anxiety, feeling like we don't measure up, loneliness, and especially standing in our own way – in Battle Ready, Kelly uses Scripture combined with raw, honest stories taken from her own life experiences to guide the reader to a battle plan for all of these, and more.

I recommend this book to anyone seeking to be Battle Ready.

I will admit I found it very difficult to identify with almost everything written in this book. It was so "feelings" based that it took me several weeks to read it. Time and again I would put the book down in frustration, yelling aloud, "Do women really think like this?"

I soon came to discover that this book was not written for a senior woman like myself (but more likely for Millennial's) and that brought me up short a bit because that told me I had somehow lost touch with what young people are thinking, feeling and processing these days. Most of the questions the author asks are not something I found applicable to my life at all. But I'm sure if it had come to me 30 years ago this would be a different review.

I knew I would have a difficult time with this book after the first few pages. I thought the name "Battle Ready" would have something to do with putting on the armour of God and so that alone intrigued me. But such was not the case.

The author immediately lets us into her thought life, and I was stunned that a Christian had thoughts as she did. As I continued reading, it amazed me even further that maybe all women think as she does. I feel like somewhat of an anomaly, and I guess I'm relieved. I take people's actions and words at face value. I do not put a lot of time and effort into thinking what their motives are or why they act as they do. I also don't put a lot of thought into what I'm thinking or how I'm behaving towards others because I've spent my life following the golden rule - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and so it boggles my mind that a book would be needed to tackle profound, personal questions about how we behave and think and feel as ambassadors for Christ.

Yes, life can get messy. Yes, we can have impatient outbursts and yes we fail. But that's life! You are not failing as a Christian if you mess up. You are learning (if you are walking in the Spirit) from those mistakes on how not to behave. You learn you move on. And I guess that is the point of this book. To get one's self "battle ready" in the mind so that you can withstand whatever troubles, calamities (or even opportunities) that come your way.

The back cover says, "Battle Ready is a hands-on scriptural plan that teaches you twelve easy-to-implement, confidence-building mind-sets designed to transform your thoughts and, therefore, your life." However, there is nothing very scriptural about it. There are no Bible passages to study and examine and apply to your life, only questions about your life and your feelings. So many questions! So many feelings!

However, if you are struggling as a Christian to see what Jesus has done for you, to appreciate His sacrifice, to walk with Him through this messy life - and you are under 30, you might like this type of book. With thousands of questions to probe your deepest thoughts, the author will not let you get away with excuses on why you aren't living your life to the fullest in Jesus Christ. She does throw in some Scripture verses here and there, but for the most part, this book is a lesson in how to probe your deepest thoughts, wants and desires and turn them into following Jesus.

This is not a book to read in one sitting, nor is it a Bible study. There is nothing deeply theological about it at all. It is simply taking all the bad things you think about yourself and others, including all your bad habits, etc. and turning them into positives (through and because of Jesus of course). Battle Ready is a thorough pep talk for Christian women to stop believing lies from the enemy and start trusting in Christ.

If you have walked with Jesus for a very long time and you are used to in-depth Bible studies, this book will probably be something you've been doing all your life, and you may find it a bit shallow. However, if you are a new Christian and are struggling to figure it all out, Battle Ready might be just what you need to help you gain perspective on how to live the life Christ called you to.

Over-thinkers like me struggle hard with God’s charge to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Kelly Balarie’s latest book, Battle Ready, is helping to stop my dizzying thought-cycles so that I can bring my mind into submission to the Savior. Subtitled “train your mind to conquer challenges, defeat doubt, and live victoriously,” Battle Ready is a unique and extremely practical read.

The chapters aren’t set up like what you find in most books, where you follow trains of thought subconsciously. Instead, emphasizing the importance of ruling our minds, you can track Balarie’s train of thought very precisely as her lessons are clear.

Every chapter begins with a godly mindset. Sections are divided by points that prove and practically address that mindset. In these sections, there are how-to ideas and plenty of probing questions. Each chapter concludes with to-dos that help you implement what you’ve learned.

In her typical way, Balarie’s writing is personable, inviting, direct, and memorable. Besides the many points she makes that stick with you, her quotes are worth writing down and returning to:

“Do what you’ve never done before to see what you’ve never seen before.”

“Truth not grasped in a heart never works.”

“Thoughts and words are windows to the heart.”

“God is a giver, but He doesn’t force the best of Himself on those fully satisfied with lesser gods or lesser goals.”

“A strong dependence on God mentally beats your loud-speaking, always-shifting feelings.”

As much I’d like to ramble on, I have to stop and admit: I haven’t finished Battle Ready yet. Nearly every section (yes section, not even chapter!) has caused me to stop, consider, and pray. This is a book that ripe for impact if you take your time with it- and Balarie notes this early on.

If you’re also one to find yourself so lost in thought that you’ve lost track of your time, or your feelings, or relationships, or self-control….or shower….I highly recommend this book!

(PS: Check out the Battle Ready website- you’ll find helpful printables there too.)

(I got an advance copy of this book and agreed to give an honest review.)

So much junk gets in the way of being battle ready and living the life God has called us to live. The author provides you with tools to help you face whatever comes your way. There is so wisdom and truth in what the author writes.
Here is just one quote that was so powerful to me.
"It's not necessarily what happened that hurts most but how we keep translating it, day after day, year after year, to no end." Isn’t it time to change...
Take your time, take notes, and allow you mind to be changed. Be Battle Ready!
Great book

As Kelly says in this well written book that you will want to slowly digest, “This book is a manual for the mind to help you live a soul-filling and love-spreading life …”. I love her style of writing. There are 12 Warrior Mind-Sets which is great since we have such a battle over our mind. She gives you powerful truths to offset the lies you have believed about yourself. Very scriptural. I received an electronic advanced copy of this book and then purchased my copy. This is my personal opinion.

When Kelly Balarie, author of Fear Fighting, invited me to participate on the launch team of her latest book, Battle Ready, I wondered if a pacifist like me needed a book about battle preparedness. Then I read the subtitle: Train Your Mind to Conquer Challenges, Defeat Doubt, and Live Victoriously. Who wouldn’t want to know how to do those things?

Balarie walks the reader through the twelve ‘warrior mindsets’ that will keep us battle ready. And no, she doesn’t mean ready to fight human enemies. This book deals with fighting on the spiritual battlefront. The battle, described in 1 Peter 5:8-9, involves the insidious enemy and all the mind-tricks he plays on us.

According to Balarie, the battle begins in our mind. The mind controls our attitude, which predetermines the outcomes. Most of all, Balarie assures us that,

“The most powerful type of woman in the world is the one simply operating exactly where God wants her. Everything in her life is an adventure. It doesn’t matter where she is—she could be at her kitchen counter, or doing the laundry, or kneeling.”

Of course, in order to act powerfully, we have to feel safe. I love this quote, too:

“The safest woman is not the one safeguarding her assets, her children, her house, or her well-being; she’s the one abiding under the safety of God’s love that moves her out to risky places.”

I confess that I get power and safety confused. The hardest times of my life have created a propensity within me to want to control everything. Balarie reminds us that power comes from above—not from our lists and organization and ability to get things done. Trying to safeguard all we hold dear will only wear us out and drain away our effectiveness.

Readers will find this book chock-full of inspiration and encouragement for their daily lives.

This book is full of actionable steps, relatable stories, thought-provoking questions, and powerful, biblical truths. I feel it’s more of a reference tool than a book book. It’s one of those books you stick on your bedside table and refer to often throughout the ups and downs of life.

Its' is a practical, empowering, and encouraging guide that will help you to avoid defeat, discouragement, and face challenges.

How many things are keeping you from living victoriously? Battle Ready will help you find the issues that are holding you back. There is so much good information in this book that it is one you will find yourself going back to time after time, or passing on to a friend who is in need of real encouragement.

I have Kelly's earlier book, Fear Fighting, and Battle Ready almost feels like a continuation of the first book, which I loved. Concrete, practical ways to identify your needs or challenges posed to you by someone who has been right where you are and continues to overcome. The tone of the book is not critical, but helpful and supportive. Just because you're down does NOT mean you're out. Living with hope means that you're ready to fight those battles to reach peace, with God's help.

I was thankful to be a part of Kelly's launch team for this book, as it has changed my life for the better. I received an advanced reader's copy to review, and all opinions are my own. I hope my new copy arrives soon from Amazon!

Wow, wow, wow! This book was jam packed with information about living Battle Ready for Christ. It took me a little while to read it because it's not a book you can just read through real quick. There is note-taking, lots of highlighting, re-reading sections, and just stopping at certain times just to take in what you just read. I have got to read this book again because I know there was no way I captured all that the author had to offer.

It's just crazy how our mind works! So many things I could relate to in this book. Kelly gives us so many biblical truths to combat the negative thoughts we have. I love the prayers in each section. Also this book is so relevant to living in today's world. Absolutely awesome book and I highly recommend it. This was my first time reading a book by this author and I will definitely read anything else she comes out with.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. No review was required. Everything stated here is my own honest opinion*

In John 16:33, Jesus Himself tells us that we can have peace in spite of the fact that we are going to face troubles in this fallen world. But in spite of this, we go on with our 'day-to-day' existence unprepared for the battle ahead.

The enemy of your soul wants nothing more than to jump into your weakest moments and ambush your faith, leaving you weak and exhausted and doubting the Lord's love for you. Don't wait for that to happen. In order to experience the 'peace that passes understanding', we need to be ready for the battle...before it occurs.

In Battle Ready, Kelly Balarie provides a variety of biblical truths to begin to renew the mind, exercises to boost our hope, and habit-altering strategies to equip and prepare us to be ready to stand firm when the attacks come...even to experience peace in the midst of the mess.

The hardest battle is the battle of the mind. In Battle Ready, we are given 12 biblical warrior mind-sets to overcome our own negative self-talk and to overcome the enemies lies. We spend so much time getting our bodies in shape. This book will help you get your thought life in shape and in line with God's will for your life.

I highly recommend this book. It's not a quick read...it's more of a practical, hands-on guide to walk you through the tools you need to equip your heart, spirit, and mind to be Battle Ready.

If you are held captive by a negative, defeating thought life, Battle Ready is the playbook to help you put on the mind of Christ. It’s a unique read full of bullet points, checklists, infographics and anecdotes to challenge toxic thinking. On her blog, Kelly calls herself a “cheerleader for Christ,” and that phrase perfectly captures her personality and writing voice. She will cheer you on and motivate you as you learn to take your thoughts captive.

She explains that your mind is like a smartphone that is programmable and maintained by you. Your MindPhone holds many different messages, apps and codes that constantly run in the background. We can only have command over our lives with God’s help, and he can help us reprogram our MindPhones with his truth.

Kelly gives us twelve warrior mind-sets to put on and gives many practical applications for each of these Battle Ready mind-sets.

For example, Warrior Mind-Set Ten is Positivity. In this chapter, Kelly compares common negative thoughts with the positive thoughts we can have in Christ. She teaches you about the difference between the desert of “not enough” and the abundant banquet table of Jesus’ “more than enough.” She offers a five-point mind-renew to help you put on a positive, Bible-based mind-set. Each chapter is styled like this one–full of practical help.

I enjoyed Kelly’s creative solutions for common thought problems. This book isn’t a fast read and that’s OK, because reprogramming your thought life certainly takes time. It’s a gut-level honest nudge to recognize your toxic thought patterns and enlist God’s help in forming new, healthy thinking patterns.

Most of all, Battle Ready helps me think more as I write my own book about reforming our thought lives, which will be published in 2019. If you aren’t yet a subscriber, I encourage you to sign up to stay informed about the book!

Here are my favorite quotes from Battle Ready:

“As we speak as He speaks–His Word–in our mind and aloud…in practice and in deed…at night and in the morning…entering trials or emerging from them…our mind gains an awareness of God’s power, breathing and living in our lives.”

"True connection with Jesus is uniting to His humility, His love, His life, His covering, and His ways, until we're sure all we want is Him."

“Speak up for Jesus. Let your voice proclaim the glory of the Lord so it is established within your belief system.”

“Hope breeds more hope. Faith breeds more faith. And the mind harnesses the truth, ‘With God anything is possible.'”

"Fighters see what's coming on the #horizon and proactively get in front of it."

“If it is God’s kindness that saves and cleanses us, why do we, in haste, keep speaking mean to ourselves? If God is kind, shouldn’t we be that way too?”

“God’s Word reshapes us internally so the external becomes inconsequential.”

Battle Ready has many more power-packed statements that can revolutionize your thinking.

Netgalley provided me a free review copy of this book, and I purchased my own copy.

Totally outstanding book. Encouraging and uplifting. Be brave in sharing your faith. Don't let doubts interfere with living a life honoring God. Filled with insight and Biblical applications, this is a book for anyone with doubts and for anyone ready to learn how to be bold. I received a copy of this book and this is my personal honest opinion. No review was required.