Isn't Kaia a beautiful name? I love it. And I love Kaia's book THE
JOY PLAN. As a woman who has been on a Joy Journey for close to 10 years, Kaia's book is right on target with my own joy plan. Her book is a wonderful story of finding joy in difficult circumstances--which is what I've been saying and writing about myself!
The one thing that interests me the most about THE JOY PLAN is that Kaia is clearly not a Christian. She doesn't pretend to be and is clear that while she believes in a higher power, she is not a believer in the sense that Christians are. I respect her honesty and I sincerely appreciate that she doesn't try to pretend to be someone or something she's not. With that being said, that means that much of Kaia's information comes from a very clinical, scientific, and psychological perspective on JOY. All of which is truly fascinating and more interesting than I thought it would be. It is truly eye-opening to read about how the brain works and how we can train our brains to help us have more JOY.
As a believer--Christian, I do want to say that while I agree with Kaia's scientific explanations, I see through the eyes of someone who believes that JOY comes in knowing and having a relationship with Jesus Christ. That He gives us JOY unspeakable and full of glory.
I am not arguing with Kaia's premise in any way. I hope you will read THE JOY PLAN. All I'm saying is that while Kaia comes at her JOY journey from a clinical perspective, I come at mine from a spiritual, faith-based perspective. As she clearly states in her book, everyone's JOY journey is different. The important thing is that we are on the journey.
In case you're interested, here is my own blog about My Joy journey: https://joyregardless.blogspot.com/
Thomas Cullinan took on a very interesting undertaking when he chose to write THE BEGUILED, especially considering the fact that there are 7 women in the story and only one man. As promised, the story is one of a beguiling nature and it is a challenge to figure out just who is the beguiler and who the beguiled. I decided to read this book because I saw the trailer for the movie version with Nicole Kidman. Since I really like Kidman, I was intrigued. Once I learned that it was a book first, I had to read the book before I see the movie!
I am disappointed to learn, though, that Sophia Coppola (the writer and director of the movie) has omitted one of the two sisters and the black housekeeper/cook, and she added a 6th girl to the school. (I had a difficult enough time keeping up with the girls, students, with only 5! How in the world will I manage with 6 girls?!) Granted, I do agree that all the characters in the story are not absolutely necessary to the story as a whole. I'm just not sure--before I see the movie--that I completely agree with Sophia's choices there. We'll have to see how I feel after I watch the movie....I do think that a story like this will transfer brilliantly to the screen. It practically begs to be SEEN rather than read.
I was pleasantly surprised to note that the book is not overtly sexual nor does it have much foul language. I don't need to read the specifics in order to understand that things of a sexual nature are taking place. As with clothing, it is more often than not better to leave a little to the imagination rather than reveal the whole package.
There really isn't anything in the story that happens that wasn't expected. It's an incredibly predictable. That didn't take away from my enjoyment of the read, though. Sometimes predictability can still be interesting, especially when it is such a beguiling story. ;) (Sorry, not sorry.) I highly recommend THE BEGUILED as a book.
I'll let you know about the movie after I see it.
I don't even know where to begin when it comes to writing about Kristin Hannah's THE NIGHTINGALE. I knew going in to the read that it is a book about WW2 and that it would be a difficult read. What I didn't know was just how INTENSE (thanks, mom) it would be. I have always found war stories (movies, in particular) difficult to read or watch. I have only recently made it all the way through SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and I only did that because my son wanted to watch it. I feel it is important for us as parents to watch such movies with our kids, so in spite of my own reservations, I "watched" it with him. (More like--was at least in the same room while the movie was on.) I made it through the movie, but it helped because my son and I talked about it periodically.
THE NIGHTINGALE is as intense--if not more so because, while it's definitely difficult enough to read and watch war stories about men, it is a true shock to the system to have a war story be about women. I don't want to lessen in any way the horrors of war in any regard for any individual. I am simply saying that we typically see and read war stories about men and/or through the perspective of men, so reading it about women through their perspectives is quite powerful and, well, Intense.
I thought an awful lot about STEEL MAGNOLIAS throughout my reading of THE NIGHTINGALE. Of how women are beautiful, sweet, gentle, lovely like Magnolia blossoms. But yet we have hearts and souls of steel. This story is a powerful representation of such women. I don't know which sister I love more: Isabelle or Vianne. Each fights this war in her own way and each proves to be a true NIGHTINGALE--a force to be reckoned with. When the soldier billeting with (that just means living with) Vianne is killed, because of the way he is killed, it is impossible to tell which sister actually gives the devastating, killing blow. That is a perfect example of how deeply intertwined these sisters are--their lives, their hearts--their very souls.
In case you haven't figured it out yet, be sure that you have a box of tissues when you read Kristin Hannah's THE NIGHTINGALE. In spite of the fact that it is an intense read that rips your heart out, it is well worth the read. It is important for us down throughout history to "see" the horrors of war--and not JUST through the eyes of men and certainly not just through the eyes of some textbook written by the so-called "winners." We tend to romanticize the horrors of war into some epic love story; there is NO romance to war--only HORROR.
And the CHOICES each sister makes--must make--for survival--not just for herself, but her family, friends, children, and loved ones. Choices. Impossible Choices. Unspeakable Choices. Choices removed but yet still leaving them with the horror of choosing. Choices.
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE this book. I knew before I even bought WONDER by R. J. Palacio that I would cry. I purchased the book immediately after watching the trailer for the movie that is coming out later this year starring Owen Wilson (as the dad) and Julia Roberts (as the mom). So I was prepared for the waterworks. What was a surprise was the fact that I cried as much as I did--that there were so many things in the book that moved me to immediate tears. There were several times when I had to put the book down and wipe my tears away so I could continue reading unhindered.
Palacio wrote about Auggie in such a way that I never once pitied him. I hurt that he had to experience all the hurt--physical and emotional--that he did and he was only 10 years old. Auggie demonstrates that our suffering makes us stronger and that even when we CAN'T, we CAN. I love Auggie. And his mom. And his dad. And Via. And Justin. And Miranda. And Summer. And Jack. And all the teachers. And Amos and the other boys.
And I completely agree with Auggie's precept: "Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their life because we all overcometh the world.--Auggie" (333).
Susan Gregg Gilmore's THE FUNERAL DRESS caught my attention as I walked by a poster at the Lenoir Public Library, Lenoir, NC. Caldwell Community College is reading it on their campus this year and the author will be on their campus soon. Of course, since Caldwell isn't too far away and I am always excited about meeting new authors, so I ordered the book and sat down prepared for an amazing read.
I'm sorry to say that I am disappointed. The book isn't terrible, but I had a very difficult time with it. It took me much longer to read a book like this; I plodded slowly through it. The tone of the overall story is too morbid. Granted, it is obviously about death (just look at the title), but even the birth of a baby can't dispel the gloom. If you like that kind of story, you might enjoy THE FUNERAL DRESS. I was just hoping for a little joy in the story--especially when it came to the baby, Kally Faye.
Wow. I love it when I "discover" something in the Bible that--even though I've read it 100 times, is "new" to me. What an awesome message Mark Batterson shares about Benaiah CHASING a lion into a pit on a snowy day! It is well worth the read and truly inspirational. As a Believer, it is my job to put my faith and trust in my Lord and Savior and then to watch Him make the unbelievable happen. While I know that--have known it for a very long time, it certainly never hurts to be reminded.
I was also interested to note that Mark attended Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri around the same time as my husband! I think Mark was there a year or two earlier, but they still may have briefly crossed paths!!!
It also fascinated me to read that Mark went through an experience very similar to mine where he almost died and had a foot of colon removed! I had 8 inches removed!!! And I almost died, too!
If you haven't read anything by Mark Batterson yet, I would say that beginning with IN A PIT WITH A LION ON A SNOWY DAY is a great place to start!
Bryan Stevenson's book JUST MERCY is absolutely a book well
worth reading. Bryan reveals behind-the-scenes insights into the justice system and the truth that it does not always work. I know that is a truth we cannot deny, but it is still a bit of a shock to the system to read about how bad it really is.
What concerns me about JUST MERCY is the fact that there are so many people who already distrust the justice system, especially in regards to policemen and women. While I know that injustice is a reality, it takes a lot away from when it does work as well as from amazing police work that is done every single day.
Of course, I am a person who likes to focus on the positive, so reading JUST MERCY was difficult for me because it has many stories of injustice that are heart-wrenching. I WANT to read happily-ever-after stories and believe that when push comes to shove, all stories end with the "hero[es]" riding off into the sunset. Reading about the reality is difficult for someone like me, but necessary.
Please don't let the fact that I only gave JUST MERCY 3 stars keep you from reading this book or make you think that I did not like it. It most certainly is well worth reading. I just want to try to hang on to my belief in the innate goodness of humanity for as long as possible.
**My second reading: JUST MERCY is better the second time through. As much as I wish we had chosen WITH LOVE FROM THE INSIDE by Angela Pisel for our Interdisciplinary Read at CVCC, I am glad that we have chosen JUST MERCY for the 2017-2018 school year. This book will be a wonderful asset to our program and to our school as a whole. The good news is that I'll be able to use WITH LOVE FROM THE INSIDE as a discussion point because it is also about injustice--someone being wrongly accused and condemned to die. :)
I also plan on using BILLY BUDD by Herman Melville in my American Lit for comparison points. Melville is really for modern American Lit, but at least it's American Lit!
And I also hope to set up a discussion--round table--where we watch movies like LAW ABIDING CITIZEN and maybe other stories of social injustice and discuss them with a panel of community leaders and maybe even a few folks who have been involved in the prison system. I haven't mentioned this yet to the Interdisciplinary Read Committee [chairperson], but we had thrown around such ideas previously.
Personally, I want to do more research on Marsha Colbey. As a woman who has suffered a stillbirth and 2 miscarriages, the THOUGHT of being arrested and then condemned to die because someone thought I had.....I can't even type the words. Wow. It really makes me appreciate the support team I have always had, including doctors, family, friends, and just my community as a whole. I want to talk to Marsha personally and to hug her tight and tell her that she is a hero of mine. It was difficult enough grieving under "normal" circumstances; I can't even begin to imagine grieving under circumstances where people believed that I had......ON PURPOSE.
May Mercy be just and fair.
Bryan Stevenson has renewed in me a strong desire to be a stonecatcher--to help others grieving the loss of a child (children) in whatever way possible. That is MY purpose. It is what I am to do. I will let them lean on me--even if only for a moment.
Another amazing book I wish I could give more than 5 stars. Wow.
THE ESTHER ANOINTING by Michelle McClain-Walters is a call to arms--a reminder that the story of Esther is for all of us--"who knows whether you have come to [this place] for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). Wow.
I am not familiar with the Apostolic faith--denomination?, but I can say with full assurance that Michelle McClain-Walters is a woman walking in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I want to share this book with every single person around me. I would love to be able to purchase copies for ALL my friends, family, and loved ones, so don't be surprised if you receive a copy from me!!
I will certainly be reading THE ESTHER ANOINTING again--soon--and again, and again, and again--until I have it practically memorized. Thank you, Michelle McClain-Walters, for your obedience in writing this empowering call-to-arms.
I honestly wish I could say that Carrie Fisher's THE PRINCESS DIARIST was super incredibly awesome and made me love her more than ever, but the truth is that it was quite disappointing. Considering the title, I hoped for and expected all these wonderful behind-the-scenes stories about the making of our beloved STAR WARS. Instead, Carrie waxed philosophical--especially in regards to her affair with Harrison Ford she refers to as "Carrison"--and mentions Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and George Lucas just often enough to make this memoir related to the time of her life when STAR WARS was filmed.
The book as a whole is good and I'm glad I read it. I, like millions of others, have always loved Princess Leia. Carrie Fisher herself is real and down-to-earth and as lovable as she is misguided. She is brutally honest without holding anything back, but yet doesn't delve deep enough into the world of STAR WARS to satisfy my craving for all things STAR WARS.
I am incredibly saddened by her death as well as by the death of her mother just one day later. In spite of Carrie Fisher's lack of self-esteem, she made a huge impact on millions of people both as Princess Leia and as herself. As someone who has experienced severe depression and anxiety, Carrie helped make it "okay" to talk about such things as well as to admit to them. I mean, if Princess Leia herself was bipolar and managed to save a whole galaxy, then I can strap on my big-girl panties and function day-to-day, right? Of course, right.
So while THE PRINCESS DIARIST is not going on my list of "greatest books," I am very glad I read it and I will forever miss Carrie Fisher.
CHASE THE LION is my first foray into the world of Mark Batterson's books and I am very happy to report that it is WELL worth the read. I highlighted many amazing passages as well as had my eyes, heart, mind, and soul open to a number of scripture verses that I had never paid attention to more than a passing read--and I'm one who has read through my Bible each year for several years now. But I LOVE that the Holy Spirit continues to reveal scripture to me. It is proof positive that the Bible IS the living, breathing, Word of God. No matter how often I read His Word, no matter how many times I study a passage of scripture, He is always able to make SOMETHING new for me! I LOVE THAT!!
People ask me all the time why and how I can read the same book over and over again. For me, reading a book the first time is incredible wonderment, but reading it a second time reveals secrets I missed the first time. And the next time, even more secrets, and so on! Great books never get old or tiresome. The Bible is like that for me as is a number of books I have read over the years and now CHASE THE LION can be added to that short list.
I will also be reading Mark Batterson's other books throughout this year. I sincerely hope others will join me. Here's a link to Batterson's web site: http://chasethelion.com/
I did not expect CHASE THE LION to be so much about following our Dreams.
SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult is another book with which I have a love-hate relationship. I don't even know where to begin with what I want to say about this new book. I realize that this is a book that has racism/inequality--well, inequity--as its main focus/purpose/point/plot. It is what Jodi has been talking about in her interviews and statements about SMALL GREAT THINGS. It is in everything I'm reading about the book. It is the focus of just about single review I have read so far of the book.
But for me, SMALL GREAT THINGS is not a story about race. For me, this is a story about child loss--the devastation of child loss for ALL involved: the mom, the dad, the nurse(s), other health care staff, grandparents, and on and on the list goes. Losing Davis is certainly incredibly difficult for Brit and Turk, the parents.
Brit is so incredibly devastated, she never recovers from the horror of the loss of her Precious.
Turk deals with the loss the only way he knows how: with hate.
Ruth is the consummate professional, attempting to over-ride her hurt at being mistreated in order to do what is best for the innocent in her care; when that falls apart, she grieves his loss as only one who fights for the life of another is able to grieve.
The rest of the hospital staff is able to get on with their lives and put the death of Davis in whatever place health professionals do when a patient doesn't make it. They do their jobs.
No one deals with the loss of this tiny, 3-day old baby in a so-called "typical" manner.
As someone who has experienced child loss myself (3 times), "typical" grieving is an oxymoron. There truly is NO "typical" grieving when it comes to the death of a baby--for anyone involved. What makes the grief that much more difficult to deal with is are the words--the insensitive words spoken in a vain attempt to comfort the bereaved.
Brit experienced such, but not one person cared enough to focus on her and what she may have needed. Not even her husband who supposedly so desperately wanted to help her through her time of grief. SMALL GREAT THINGS makes me angrier than I can possibly say for the sake of Brit--the Mommy who went into the hospital with a baby in her womb only to come out of the hospital with empty arms--the WORST, most WRONG thing that can ever happen to ANY parent.
Yes, Brit is a White Supremacist who demands that black Ruth be taken off the care of her son, but like Ruth's color, that is NO reason to make Brit suffer even more than she already was. Casting blame didn't do Brit any good. It only fueled her hatred and intensified her grief.
Ruth loses her job and is dragged through the gutter all because those involved want SOMEONE to blame--to pay for--something that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I'm here to tell you that the blame game only causes more problems and continues the hurt and devastation. I blamed my husband for our loss for a very long time. It almost ruined our marriage. It almost led me to do something similar to what Brit does. It fueled my rage and gave me something to hang on to since I didn't have my baby to hold in my arms. But in the long run, all I got out of it was a lot of physical and mental health issues--that I will probably have to deal with the rest of my life.
The grief will ALWAYS be there, but forgiveness is freedom. Blaming wraps the blamer tight in shackles and imprisons him/her worse than grief ever will.
My compassion goes out to Ruth, of course it does. I want Ruth vindicated with every fiber of my being.
But my real heart goes to Brit, the mom who is ignored and misunderstood as well as mistreated.
SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult is another story that demonstrates the truth that we, as a society, have NO IDEA what to do with mothers who are not mothers with physical, live children in her arms. We treat these mothers even worse than we treat women like Ruth. Do you realize that there isn't even a name for parents (men or women) who suffer the excrutiating loss of a baby/child???
So Jodi, in spite of the fact that I am fan of yours, have been a fan, and always will be a fan, I want "justice" for Brit more than for Ruth in SMALL GREAT THINGS.
Margaret Feinberg, I am simply in awe of your ability to share the
Word and what the Lord continues to lay on your heart in spite of all you are going through. I love you so very much. I pray for you every single day. I honestly feel as I'm reading each of your books that I am growing closer to you with each book. FLOURISH is a wonderful devotional; I read through it quickly this first time, but the next time I read through it, I'll take my time and meditate more carefully on each devotion. I simply could not wait to read each day's devotion for a whole week in between readings!!! Each and every devotion spoke to my heart and soul and has caused me to desire to be all that God has for me.
Yes, my t-shirt in the picture says "I CHOOSE JOY." :)
Laura Elvington. Who knew?! I've always known the essentials of the background of the song "Blessings" by Laura Story: she wrote it while dealing with the struggles after learning her husband had a brain tumor. But that information had come simply as a result of being an avid radio listener that almost anyone who listens to a Christian music station learns. Reading about the WHOLE story in Laura's WHEN GOD DOESN'T FIX IT has brought a whole new perspective to what has always been an amazing, powerful, and very touching song for me. Wow. I had NO idea. Martin and Laura's story is so very different from mine, but the fact that God is their Hero is the same theme of my story! It is so wonderful to see others praising God in the midst of their trials....IN SPITE OF.....So TAKE THAT, Satan!!! You don't win! My God has already fought the battle--and WON!!!!
I pre-ordered LEAVE ME because it is by Gayle Forman! I've read everything else by her, so purchasing her newest book was a no-brainer for me. As I began reading LEAVE ME, though, I was a bit disappointed. Not in the story. I can relate to the story more than many others considering the fact that I was at death's door myself--but with a severe infection from diverticulitis, rather than a heart attack, that almost killed me and then took quite a while to recover.
What concerned me was how often Maribeth used the f-word. It made me feel as if Gayle was throwing the word around a lot, through the voice of Maribeth, because LEAVE ME is her first adult novel and, well, she could. I was frustrated because I simply did not feel that Maribeth was the type of person (character) who would use it as often as she was.
As I read further, though, it became apparent that the use of the f-word was out of Maribeth's extreme frustration, discouragement, and simply her disappointment in her LIFE--how things had taken a complete 180 from what she'd dreamed--how she and her husband Jason spend more time apart than together--how she and Jason didn't "get" one another any more or support one another any more--how her friendship with Elizabeth had dissipated over the years--how life with twin 4-year-olds was not everything she had dreamed it would be--and on and on her frustrations went.
Such frustrations, discouragements, and disappointments I could relate to. I think every woman--and man--can relate to how LIFE takes us down a completely different path than what we expected. And then when our expectations become too overwhelming, we have no idea how to change directions--by then, we're so lost, even a roadmap--or a GPS nowadays--can help us get back on the right path.
So Maribeth does the ONLY thing possible to find her way home: she runs away. Ironically and miraculously, it actually works. And to make it even more of a "right-track" experience, along the way, Maribeth meets and makes some new, long-lasting wonderful friendships. Best of all, Maribeth loses her previous expectations and eventually finds herself again--her REAL self.
So in spite of the fact that I wondered if I would finish LEAVE ME because I simply didn't want to read the f-word one more time, as I turned the last page, my sobs of joy for Maribeth were blurring the page and I can truly say that Gayle Forman has another winner on her hands. I will definitely continue to pre-purchase any and every book Gayle writes!!!
"SOMETIMES (emphasis mine) leaving someone is the most loving thing you can do." (301)
I don't know what to say about Glennon's heart, LOVE WARRIOR. So much of her words resonated with me in every fiber of my being. So much of her story is so very different from mine, but yet so very many of her FEELINGS are MY feelings, too. What makes LOVE WARRIOR so incredibly amazing, as has already been discussed greatly, is the power of Glennon's TRUTH--her willingness to be vulnerable. (It's no surprise at all that she is teaming with Brene Brown to teach about being Love Warriors!)
Truth is something we have been studying in my Sunday School class, specifically as it relates to Priscilla Shirer's ARMOR OF GOD, and how we must take EVERYTHING and compare it to the Word of God--the TRUTH. It has been quite powerful studying the belt of truth of how truth gives us Freedom. The more we acknowledge TRUTH and allow TRUTH to be our guide, the free-er we are.
Glennon says the exact same thing, but in her own way, using her own personal experience. I heard Glennon say that she was more nervous about the release of this book than she has been anything else she's written because of the fact that she has shared so much of herself--she has exposed so much of her own TRUTH. I admire her so much for being willing to lay her heart before us, not asking us to love her as she is, but saying that regardless of whether we love her or not as she is, she loves herself--and she loves.....
As I have been sharing my story in my blog and with people around
me, I hear over and over again how these people find me "brave" in being so vulnerable in sharing my own personal truth. I don't feel that I'm being brave. To me, it's sharing my own Truth and telling others that I love myself exactly as God has created me, and I love.....
We hide behind our masks and only reveal our true selves when someone else shares her truth. Well, who is going to be the first one to open up if we all hide?
Like Glennon Doyle Melton, I am choosing to be unmasked and face the truth of my hurts, pain, sorrow, joys, love, life, friendships, faith, and on and on. I will sit in my "hot lonliness" and FEEL and become the LOVE WARRIOR I am meant to be.
Will you?
As a short story in preparation for the release of SMALL GREAT
THINGS in a few short weeks, SHINE by Jodi Picoult has certainly done a great job in whetting my appetite for her next release!!! Ruth is an amazing young girl and I am excited to see more of her and of what happens with her. She is strong, adorable, smart, and bold in a way that is unusual for a girl of her age. At this age in SHINE, she is precocious and just plain adorable. I am excited to see more of her soon!!!
I don't normally do this, but I'm going to write a short review BEFORE I read THE MEMORY BOOK by Lara Avery. I don't have much to say, but I do want to say that as I read the jacket and a brief synopsis of the book, it reminds me an awful lot of 50 FIRST DATES. I'm curious to see how this story carries itself out. I know the women in both stories lose their memories for different reasons, but the fact is that both women are losing their memories (or have lost) and need to be gently reminded on a daily basis of who they are and, as in the case of 50 FIRST DATES, that she is married and has a little girl--by the end of the movie. That is done via video tape while THE MEMORY BOOK is done in writing, but if I remember correctly, Drew Barrymore starts a journal--memory book--and even shares it with Adam Sandler. Hmmmm.....already, I'm noticing more similarities and I haven't even started THE MEMORY BOOK.....
I hope this book is as good as I think it'll be. I saw it online while shopping randomly and ordered it as soon as I could. I look forward to reading it!!
I finished it. I would have finished it last night, but my night-time medication finally kicked in and I HAD to put the book down and go to sleep. But I finished it as soon as I could this afternoon after school. Yes, I was sobbing and snotting all over my copy as I finally closed the book.
THE MEMORY BOOK ends exactly the way you expect it to end. Her disease is "inevitably terminal," after all. But that doesn't take away from the fact that as I came to the final few pages, my heart felt as if it was outside my body, weeping for me. This is a fairly simple story of a high school senior coming to terms with her diagnosis and her attempt to outrun it and then turn to stand it face it head on--as fearlessly as possible with her loved ones surrounding her and helping hold her up.
Yes, it is very reminiscent of 50 FIRST DATES as I thought before I started reading it, but it is also, very clearly, its own story....Sammie's own, personal story and it is heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Thank you for writing this beautiful story, Lara Avery.
I do have one "complaint": Sammie is quite free with her use of the f-word. I knew when I first picked up THE MEMORY BOOK that it was not advertised as a Christian book. That rarely deters me from reading a book, though, if I really like the plot or have heard that it is a very good book to read. It's simply that, as a Christian, I would prefer not to have to read a book with the f-word littered throughout. It did not diminish my enjoyment of the story; I just didn't want to have to "hear" Sammie use such language.
I definitely highly recommend THE MEMORY BOOK by Lara Avery!
Please don't be thrown off WRITING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE: HOW TO HONOR YOUR STORY THROUGH JOURNALING by Michele Weldon by the fact that I only give it 3 stars. Michele's book is definitely worth the read; I truly am very glad that I read it. I gave it only 3 stars, though, because there were parts of the book where I felt that she could have used a lot fewer words (examples) to make her point. Interestingly enough, I have exactly the same issue! I know my own students often wish that I would just state my point, maybe 1 example--if that many--and move on, but like Michele, I tend to go around my arm to get to my elbow! Isn't it often what we see in ourselves that we criticize in others?! Regardless, WRITING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE is well worth the read.
I am still working on some of the exercises in the book. Some of them are ones that need some real ruminating and time while others are quick and easy to get through.
One of my favorite passages comes in the last chapter "Enjoy the Music in You": "'To love what you do and feel that it matters, how can anything be more fun?' Katherine Graham, the author and businesswoman who steered the helm of the WASHINGTON POST for decades, said it and lived by it. It is joyful to write when you believe what you are writing matters" (227).
I did not have high expectations of enjoying Shauna Niequist's PRESENT OVER PERFECT, but I was definitely very interested in reading it. The back cover and reviews sounded great. Happily, the book exceeded my expectations and I am so much the better for having read it!
My absolute favorite part is the chapter called "Agency." It's as if I've been waiting for someone I respect to tell me that I "get to decide how [I] want to live"..."[I] get to make [my] life" (103)!!! This is something I have been struggling with for years. My counselor has told me over and over that I have to take care of Polly before I can even begin to consider taking care of anyone else--or even caring about others. If I'm not whole and healthy, I am not who I need to be for those I love.
It reminds me of how we are told on a plane that if there is danger, we must put on our own oxygen mask before helping our kids because we can't help our kids if we've passed out. I don't know why it's so empowering to have someone tell me that I get to decide when deep in my soul I already know that truth, but empowering it truly is.
Thank you for sharing this journey, Shauna. Thank you.
"The world will tell you how to live, if you let it. Don't let it. Take up your space. Raise your voice. Sing your song. This is your chance to make or remake a life that thrills you" (104).
As I began reading through JOY FOR ALL SEASONS by Carol McLeod, I quickly began to wonder if there was anything in this amazing devotional that I wouldn't underline and/or highlight?! It was as if McLeod had been living MY life, reading my mind, and feeling every single thing I was feeling!!! What that proves to me is that the Holy Spirit is in this fantastic devotional.
I am truly honored to have been given the wonderful opportunity to read through JOY FOR ALL SEASONS prior to its release date. I do not take that honor lightly. I want you to know that I am saying it's a super-great devotional because I'm receiving anything special from Carol McLeod or her ministry, Just Joy; I'm saying that JOY FOR ALL SEASONS is a must-read because I mean it.
Once I receive my official book copy at the beginning of September, I have every intention of taking the time to read this awesome devotional as it was meant to be read and absorbed, one week at a time.
http://www.justjoyministries.com/
[book:Joy for All Seasons: 52 Weekly Devotions|29885481]
