Core: Biblical Principles for When Life Gets Bumpy leads the reader through a series of bible verses, thought-provoking questions, and real-life applications that help clarify the importance of strengthening your physical and spiritual core. This paperback book is a quick read at just 146 pages and includes eleven chapters split into three sections- The Physical Core, The Spiritual Core, and The Application. Co-written by Sharon Czerwien and Kelly Dean, Core: Biblical Principles for When Life Gets Bumpy is available on Amazon for $10.18. 

Physical therapist Kelly Dean wrote the first section, The Physical Core. This section details the importance of strengthening your physical core. Kelly outlines the different physiological parts of the core and shares her personal experiences with building, losing, and repairing that strength. She also boldly shares how her struggles throughout these experiences led her closer to Christ. 

The second section, The Spiritual Core, is written by Sharon Czerwien (as is the rest of the book) and details five key components for building a strong spiritual core. Each part has a dedicated chapter that dives into the root of the concept, including specific bible verses to study. Each chapter closes with "application thoughts" or discussion questions. 

The final section, The Application, inspires the reader with practical strategies for applying the five core principles. Like previous chapters, these include helpful application thoughts at the end of each chapter for personal reflection or, if you are doing a shared study, further discussion. 

This book is a great independent read for anyone looking to strengthen their spiritual core. However, I believe it is most applicable and appropriate for adult women and mothers. It would also make an excellent group bible study. 

I enjoyed reading about each biblical principle and found inspiration in the practical strategies detailed in the final section. However, I did find a slight bit of disjointedness between the first section and the rest of the book. I had hoped to see more of an apparent connection between the physical and the rest of the book. Although the writing was excellent, and the content compelling, I felt the first section wasn't integrated well with the rest of the content. 

I would recommend Core: Biblical Principles for When Life Gets Bumpy to anyone who needs or wants help strengthening their spiritual health and gaining practical strategies for handling life's bumps with God always at the forefront of our reactions. This book gives big and small examples that the reader can easily relate to and will resonate with in their daily lives. I will be applying some of these strategies to my own life while focusing on building up that spiritual core so that I can handle them with grace and faith when bumps do happen! 

-Product review by Danielle Lenz, The Old Schoolhouse® April 2022