Review: This is the story of an orphan girl who is a chess genius, but also struggles with addiction. The book takes you on a journey through her life. Highs and lows. Wins and losses. Sobriety and addiction. Friendship and loneliness.
This is one of those RARE occasions that the SHOW was better than the book. Because I do not play chess, it was hard for me to imagine the games as they were described in the book. It was much more enjoyable to watch the games and observe the people and their surroundings. The show was excellent, and if you have Netflix, I recommend that you skip the book and watch the show!
Review: I couldn’t put this book down. It was SO good! It’s the phenomenal story of a boy who survived the Holocaust because he was on ‘Schinder’s list!’ Many holocaust stories are incredibly hard to read, but this one had a string of redemption and hope running through it. I loved this book and think you will too! Easy to read and an excellent book for kids ages 12 and up!
Review: This was written by the co-founder of Pixar. (The company that created so many of those movies we LOVE!) The early parts of the book are a little slow as he introduces himself and the formative parts of his life. I really enjoyed the parts of the book that gave ‘behind the scenes’ stories into several Pixar movies. I also loved his stories about Steve Jobs – the author describes him in a positive light. The book gave insight into how and why Pixar is such a successful organization.
Review: I really enjoyed Seth Haines first book, Coming Clean and was excited to read his second one. This book started so slow that I almost stopped reading, but I’m SOOO glad I didn’t give up on the book. The last few chapters were amazing! The author is a lawyer and I realized he was using the first section of the book to develop his ‘case’ on how to “wake up” to true life. He shares how he began to drink heavily to cover deep pain that he was going through. He shares how many of us use food, social media, alcohol, drugs or shopping to distract us from the pain, keep us from dealing with it and allowing God to heal it.
Seth gives incredibly practical and beautiful steps to truly healing from the pain and living life WIDE AWAKE!
Today’s guest post was written by my friend Mary Nolan. Mary is a West Point Graduate. After college, she defended our country in the Army and even earned a Bronze Star Medal for her heroism while serving oversees. She is now a mom to three and also earning her doctorate in Chinese Medicine.
Mary, take it away…
It was well after dark one night recently as I stood washing the last of the dinner dishes in our finally peaceful home, staring out the window, thinking “Children’s health … yeah, that shouldn’t be too tough!” Ohhh, the logic of a hopefully optimistic, definitely sleep-deprived parent.
I’d say it’s a broad topic, one wrought with a myriad of medical literature, clinical data, cultural influence, and a few emotion-based opinions.
The vaccination debate? Yep – that’s part of it.
Increasing rates of type II diabetes in children? That’s one for Ted Talks.
The merits of good, old-fashioned exercise on the playground? Ok, a bit more palatable for the casual reader.
So, true to the tactics of a mother desperately trying to channel three young children out of the house, I silenced my swarming inner dialogue with a much simpler choice – tea or wine?
Wine won. I sat down with that glass of wine and asked – what is one of the most ardent actions I incorporate daily towards my children’s own health?
Hand washing
I came up with hand washing
Wait – don’t stop reading yet.
Call it the prior U.S. Army Preventive Medicine Officer in me, or just the wisdom (i.e. mental scarring) of parenthood post-family-sick-day, but there is a tendency to overlook simple solutions to many seemingly complex problems.
Hand washing is perhaps the most basic, repeatable public health measure with the greatest impact on community (let alone children’s) health.
Aside from the obvious benefits of reducing exposure to harmful bacteria, hand washing is a perfect example of positive deviance – the idea of building up capabilities people already have rather than introducing something new that requires additional resources. In the case of hand washing, it’s something we can do, often and well, to systematically knock down the plethora of microorganisms that our little ones tend to encounter and then propagate through the family.
Why is hand washing so important? If you’re anything like me, you can almost see (…even feel) little microorganisms colonizing public railings, commercial floors (heck, our own floors!), door handles, restaurant high chairs, toilets (and anything within 3 meters of them …), and nearly anything your child reaches down to grab and says “Look!!” Well many of those microorganisms find their way not only onto your children’s ever-curious, sensory driven hands, but then into their eyes, nose, and most cringe-worthy, their mouths. Hand washing with soap and water can cut that cycle of germ-spreading not just from the source to your child, but from them to their dear siblings, friends, classmates, and YOU. Sure anti-microbial soaps have us all concerned about TOO much protection from bacteria and not enough exercise for our immune systems, but that’s where I say send the kids outside and let them bask in the glory of natural flora. The suns UV rays denature most of what will harm them out there anyway. It’s what tends to lurk indoors and on people and surfaces that leads to those loathsome family sick days.
So what would you say is the best way to implement hand washing into the daily routine? Well, back to those years when I was a Preventive Medicine Officer in the Army, getting thousands of gritty, mission-focused Soldiers to adopt something so mundane meant making it their ticket to the good stuff:
Want to get into the mess hall for chow? Wash your hands.
Want to go back to your unit and hit the rack? Wash your hands.
Want your mail and packages? Wash your hands.
Basically, hand washing stations became checkpoints for all major actions throughout the day, and were especially inevitable around food.
I like to say: “If you think about washing your hands, it’s time to do it.”
“If you think about washing your hands, it’s time to do it.”
That little mantra alone, coupled with the prevalent visual reminders, worked wonders to turn awareness into action.
Now apply all that to the typical child – it may take strapping a mobile sink to them as a front pack to achieve that level of consistency. But luckily, you can employ measures like washing hands every time you come home, or better, every time you leave a public place.
If your children are anything like mine, their hands and mouths make contact no less than 180 times per minute, and we want to minimize how much is transferred between the two in a BIG way – especially in the COVID season!
Make hand washing the first step of setting the table or a prerequisite to opening the fridge for a snack. Spice up the soaps you keep at each sink in your home – my son has been asking to wash his hands since I put an exfoliating soap in the guest bathroom (4 year old boys love some sand)!
So hand washing – a simple tool in your tool box for bolstering children’s health. But you don’t have to take it from me. The Centers for Disease Control sums it with facts like these:
Handwashing:
Reduces the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 31%
Reduces respiratory illnesses, like colds, in the general population by 16-21%
Handwashing with soap could protect about 1 out of every 3 young children who get sick with diarrhea and almost 1 out of 5 young children with respiratory infections like pneumonia
Handwashing education and access to soap in schools can help improve attendance
Good handwashing early in life may help improve child development in some settings
Handwashing may help improve child development?? Well, sign me up!! I’ll bring the soap!
I loved this article written by my friend Mary and hope you did too. It’s a simple and practical way to stay healthy during this crazy season of our lives.
If you are running low on hand soap, may I suggest you add some to your Amazon cart:
These cards have opened up so many wonderful conversations with my boys!! I’ve loved having these on my dinner table. You never know what kids are going to say!
For staying warm in your office or bathroom, I love having a space heater! When I worked, I kept a space heater under my desk. Now, I keep one in my bathroom.
This is the coolest little craft for kids. They match up the stickers with numbers and make the prettiest pictures. Their art work turns out so cool you could frame it!
The Govino wine glass has been my favorite since my friend Nadia introduced them to me over 2 years ago. They are light weight, dishwasher safe and DON’T BREAK!
My sister is an Interior Designer and recommended these. WHERE have they been all my life? They make hanging pictures so easy! No hammers needed. No big holes!
I used my friend Stacey’s air fryer when I was at her house, then immediately bought one when I got home. They cook with “air” but it makes things taste fried! We love ours and use it all the time!
My husband and I both have these phone cases – he has this solid black one, I ordered the pretty floral one. I love that I rarely have to bring anything with me except my phone.
My mom purchased this book for me and my sister and we are loving it. Susie Larson’s authenticity, wisdom, and ability to weave truths into actionable faith steps is such a gift.
Thanks for reading?
Is there something YOU love from Amazon? Leave a comment!
Disclaimer: This are affiliate links. That means if you click on the item and choose to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!
Keep spreading the strings apart until everyone falls in the ‘river.’
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7. Play Ball Games
Put a kid-friendly twist on that classic shooting game H-O-R-S-E by using smaller balls and setting up bins, buckets, and pots around the house or yard.
Take turns making shots. If a child makes it, the next child has to try to make it from the same spot.
I don’t know about your kids – but my kids NEED to burn energy in a healthy way or they start getting mischievous! Sometimes we will set a timer and everyone has to run or MOVE or jump for 5 to 20 minutes.
Occasionally, a child does a lap around the house (inside or outside) if they are misbehaving.
Sometimes people ask how or why I read so much. So here’s the answer to that:
I LOVE reading! You find time for things you love.
I have books everywhere. One by my bed. An audiobook on my phone. A book by the couch. Another in the kitchen. One in the car.
I take 10-30 minutes to read in the morning. I usually take about 10-20 minutes in the afternoon to read. In the evening, I’d rather read than watch TV. If my kids or husband are watching something, I’ll sit with them on the couch and read next to them, OR, I’ll read for a little while after the kids go to bed.
If I have to wait for my kids at a practice or an appointment, I’ll read.
I read WITH my kids. This is a little challenging with FOUR boys, so I pick a book and read one-on-one, or read SHORT segments with more than one child.
The free HOOPLA app allows me to download excellent books for no cost, so I will listen to books while doing household chores or exercising.
My increase in reading may also be related to the fact that I’m new-ish to Minnesota, so I don’t have as many social commitments, also #MinnesotaWinter and #QuarantineLife! 🤔
They say that truth is better than fiction, and this book is the PERFECT example of that. The author had me hooked into her life story from the very first page. She does an excellent job of recreating her childhood so the reader feels like they were there. I could feel her pain, joy, and disappointment. It’s an incredible story of survival, perseverance and resilience by four children being raised in the midst of poverty. Her story surprised me constantly – from how smart her parents were in some aspects, to absolutely dysfunctional in other areas. What an interesting story!
The author shares a wealth of information on everything from presidents, to war, to religion and theater. She wants her readers to be able to have intelligent conversations on many topics. Overall – the book was just okay and I skimmed through parts of it.
She includes a few ‘charts’ which contain a wealth of information – I enjoyed the chart on the presidents. She listed when each president served and highlights from their presidency. I thought that was incredibly informative! Now I want to read more about many of our presidents. You can skim or just skip this book.
Review: This is the story of the author telling us about teaching a college level world religion class and what she’s learning from her students and studies of various religions. There were some gold nuggets in the book, but overall, I found it a little boring – as if I was back in my own World Religions class – some head knowledge but not much depth.
Review: I was so excited to read this book because it’s written by another mom with FOUR boys! Her youngest son is the age of my OLDEST son, so she’s just a little bit ahead of me and I wanted to hear what she’s learned and how she’s parented her boys. This book is incredibly practical and inspirational. I have enjoyed reading her blog for a couple of year now, and am so happy she’s written this book. I recommend it to every #boymom!
This month I read one a book by a former President, another by a former First Lady, one celebrity memoir, one celebrity biography, and the final was a book on writing by a well known author.
I listened to this on my free Hoopla app. The book started a little slow, but as Theodore Roosevelt (aka Teddy) went to college, his life became very interesting. He grew to become a remarkable man who fought against cronyism and crime in government.
I loved the story of how he became president. It started when he was asked by William McKinley to be his VICE president. He said NO. He didn’t want to be Vice President for three reasons:
He enjoyed his current job as of governor of New York.
The pay wasn’t enough. He was making $10,000 a year as governor, and his home in New York was paid for. If he became Vice President, the pay was only $8,000 a year – and he’d have to rent a home for his large family in Washington DC. He honestly didn’t think his family could survive on that smaller amount of money.
He just wasn’t interested in being Vice President.
Well, the public LOVED how ‘humble’ he was about not wanting to be Vice President. There was enough pressure for him to change his mind and accept the position. McKinley-Roosevelt won the election in a landslide. As Teddy expected, he didn’t love the job of VP. He had to remain mostly quiet and listen (he preferred talking and sharing his point of view), and he didn’t feel like he could make much of a difference as Vice President. However, six months into his new role, McKinley was killed, and Teddy Roosevelt became President. He served for the next 7.5 years, and loved his role. He was only 42 years old – the youngest man ever to be president.
Review: I slowly listened to the audiobook (that Michelle reads herself) in my car over the last few months.
The beginning is slow. Michelle is a lawyer and the beginning chapters feel like she’s reading a deposition. The first 7 chapters could have probably been summed up in two. I skimmed over a few parts, waiting for this book to get better, and it finally did. When Michelle introduces us to Barack, the story gets interesting.
I enjoyed learning what it was like for a young family to be in politics. I admire how she stuck through the challenges of political life – sharing her husband with the world and carrying the load of raising their daughters, while trying to keep some semblance of family life. She talks about buying lots of “take out” and fast food during their busy life, and how that began to negatively affect their health – especially the health of their children. That’s how her platform as First Lady was born – encouraging Americans, and especially children, to eat a little healthier and get some exercise. She was the first First Lady to have a garden at the White House!
I loved the part of the book where she shares what life was like in the White House. They have a cleaning staff, a cooking staff, etc. There are fresh flowers daily and someone constantly cleaning up behind them. There’s a bowling alley and movie theatre. She compares it to living in a fancy hotel. However, I didn’t know that the Presidents pay for their own groceries. They got a ‘food bill’ at the end of each month!
I didn’t agree with or support everything written in this book, but I think we could all benefit from getting to know and try to understand people who are different from us – different skin color, different beliefs and different politics. Politics can be so mean and ugly. I would love to see Democrats and Republicans work respectfully together to make this a better nation. Michelle and I do agree about this :).
I wasn’t really planning to read this celebrity memoir, but I kept hearing other’s say that they really liked it, so I gave in and checked it out from the library.
The title “Open Book” is exactly what it is. Jessica shares way more details of her life than I was expecting to read. She holds nothing back and everyone is fair game – her ex-husband Nick, her parents, her ex-boyfriends, her current husband, and of course, herself. Jessica shares how she got into music, about her marriage and divorce, about her struggle with addiction and more. She tries to pull out the good and shares the lessons she’s learned along the way.
We received this book free from our library as part of the summer reading program, so Clark and I read it together. Jackie Chan has had a very interesting life. He began his life with his family in ONE room of a larger house where his dad worked. Jackie began training in Kung Fu and theatre at the young age of 7 – working up to 16 hours a day, sleeping only 5 hours each night. His career began as a stunt person in the film industry, then he began acting, writing, singing, and directing. I had no idea how much he had accomplished in his life – it was a simple and fun book to read together. I love the “Who Was/Is” series for kids!!
This is a book on WRITING…written by a well-known author. I wanted some insight and inspiration as I consider my next book, and work on this blog.
Here are a few of the gold nuggets I pulled from the book:
One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to go places and explore. It motivates you to look closely at life.
There are stories and ideas and vision and memories and plots inside me, and only I can give birth to them.
“Present and in awe” is how we should be in the world. There is ecstasy in paying attention. You can find holiness in everything, a sign that God is implicent in all creation. We can see everything as an outward and visaible sign of inward invisible grace. Anyone who wants to can be surprised by the beauty or pain of the world.
How often have you opened a book and said “YES!” … I want to give people that too!!
I automatically think that closing down is safe, but really – staying OPEN and LOVING is safer, because then we’re connected to all that life and love.
Maybe what I’ve written will help others, maybe it will be a small part of the solution. You don’t even have to know how or in what way, but if you are writing the clearest, truest words you can find and doing the best you can to understand and communicate, this will shine on paper like its own little lighthouse. Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save, they just stand there shining.
All quotes by Anne Lamott in her writing memoir, Bird by Bird
Have you read anything interesting lately? Leave a comment!
While raising four busy boys, I’ve spent countless hours finding activities to get them busy. We’ve lived through lots of LONG, COLD winters with nothing to do but be inside together.
Pictures from one very long, extremely cold winter. Every day felt like Groundhog Day!
I’ve learned the hard way, that when our little ones get bored, or when left un-attended for even a few minutes, they find trouble and created messes!
I left him un-attended for a few minutes, and he created “SNOW” with packing peanuts
I’ve searched the internet, and gathered my favorite ideas for keeping your toddlers busy!
Do you need a birthday gift idea? Many of the items below would make GREAT gifts. I’ve only included things that are pre-approved by my four children.
Each link I’ve included is an affiliate link, so that means if you click on it and decide to purchase the item, I will earn a small profit. Thanks for your support!
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1. Stacking cereal
Stack fruit loops or Cherries on Spaghetti noodles stuck in play dough!
My oldest son received the Plasma Car for his first birthday – and each of my boys have been riding it ever since. This “bike” is almost 12 years old, and still one of their favorite toys.
All children love a simple balloon – just bounce it back and forth!
Step it up a notch with the Balloon Rockets. Kids enjoy watching balloons soar around the room! We purchased our Balloon Rocket set about 8 years ago and my boys still have fun with this! I recently bought replacement balloons to keep them entertained during quarantine.
Let your kids bang away. (Put in earbuds to keep it from driving you crazy!)
Another parent mentioned this idea: Giving your toddler pots and pans to bang on is a classic parent move, but here is a less noisy idea. Sit your toddler down with a pumpkin, melon, or squash and let them pound the vegetable to their heart’s content with a toy hammer. Most toddlers aren’t strong enough to do real harm with their hammer, so you can still make soup with your butternut squash once they’ve had their fun. She also says this works if you swap the hammer for stickers.
I loved this as a kid and perhaps your kids will too?
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29. Sing together
Singing to and with your child builds a unique bond with them. And just like reading to your child, singing songs with them helps to boost their vocabulary and language skills.
This bag has brought hours of entertainment for my kiddos!
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37. Have fun with ice!
Make ice in different colors with food coloring and add to their drinks.
Freeze their toys and allow them to ‘excavate’ with a toy hammer.
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38. Memorize a verse together
It’s the SWEETEST thing to hear your little ones quoting Scripture!
The first verses my mom had me learn were Psalm 91:1 and Ephesians 6:. The first verse I had my kids learn was 1 Timothy 4:12.
Scripture memory is something that will benefit your children throughout their ENTIRE lives!
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39. Clean together
Smaller things kids can do – wiping baseboards, lower cabinets, all door handles, pulling weeds, folding and putting away laundry, bathroom, bedroom, their closet, putting toys away and unloading dishwasher.
I offered my kids a quarter to whoever could wipe down the baseboards and bring me back the dirtiest wet wipe.
*I am an Amazon Affiliate, so I make a small percentage off of Amazon links I share if you click through and purchase. Thank you for your support in this way!
This has been a unique season for all of us! I usually read about 5 books each month, however, I only finished 5 books in March and Aprils. My reading rate has been cut in half over the last two months. There are several reasons I haven’t been reading as much.
I have very little “downtime” with everyone home all day, every day.
Review: It took me a LONG time to read this book. I started it in JANUARY! The book is packed with stories and research – almost too much for me to consume. Finally, on the first Saturday after this quarantine began, I left Ted in charge, “quarantined” myself to the bedroom, laid in bed, and finished this book. The book builds the case that success comes with being a GIVER, not a TAKER.
Here are some key points I pulled from the book: 1. Admitting your weakness makes you appear human and approachable. 2. When selling, ask questions. People enjoy talking. By listening, you will learn about the person and how to sell to them based on their interests. Change your mindset from selling, to helping! Givers outsell takers. 3. People who maintain an equilibrium between benefiting themselves and others achieve significant increase in happiness and life satisfaction. 4. This book has lots of good stuff on the value in volunteering! For instance, those who volunteer 2 hours a week find that their happiness, satisfaction and self-esteem go up within one year. Those who volunteer see a drop in depression. Elderly adults who volunteer live longer. (I personally loved his chapter on volunteering. I wrote an entire post about the value in volunteering here.) 5. Decide to be a giver. Focus on making a difference and success might follow!
“By shifting ever so slightly in the giver direction, we might find our waking hours marked by greater success, richer meaning, and more lasting impact.”
I started reading this book with George in February. As I began reading, the lifestyle of the Ingalls family seemed SO foreign to me. I couldn’t imagine living back then, and was honestly glad that I didn’t. Let me describe a little bit of their lives to you:
Ma spends most of her days cooking and doing laundry.
The kids don’t go anywhere. They have no one to play with, except each other. They would create games to entertain themselves. They could play outside – but had to stay close by their home.
Pa works from home and only goes to the store to get “essentials.”
By the time we finished the book at the end of March, I realized we were living the “Little House” life!!!
What seemed so foreign at the beginning, felt suddenly, VERY familiar. However, I realized this slow-placed life really isn’t so bad. I’ve been wanting time to SLOW DOWN and finally got my wish. I’m thankful for this time with my family and feel like it’s given us an opportunity to grow closer. And just like the Ingalls family, we are all finding joy in the SIMPLE things!!!
Shauna Niequist recommended this book, and because I’m living in Minnesota, I checked it out from the library. (Our library is allowing us to do curbside pickup!!)
This book was an entertaining novel. I enjoyed that the book was set in Minnesota, and how the author refers to towns all around me. The novel follows the lives of a few women as they enter the ‘lager/beer craft industry.’ The ‘characters’ in this story are believable and endearing.
Review: This book was written by a parent and psychologist. It’s a practical and helpful parenting book. Topics include respect, chores, homework, helping your child deal with a ‘bad day,’ and building ‘faith practices’ in your home.
While some parenting books have left me feeling overwhelmed, that was NOT the case with this book. It was inspiring and useful. It’s a book I’ll go back to again and again.
Review: The “Who Was/Is” series are GREAT biographies to read with kids. The books are short, easy-to-read, and filled with the most interesting facts. I love that the books give me a ‘refresh’ on important historical figures.
This is a fantastic book and perfect if you want to know a little more behind the “Hamilton” phenonenom!
Have you read anything interesting lately? Leave me a comment!
I’ve been ordering from Hello Fresh for several years. I’ve tried other subscription meal services, but keep coming back to this one. I usually order 1 box every 4-8 weeks.
You can choose from an assortment of meals each week. There’s a vegetarian option, seafood, pork, chicken and/or steak.
The 3 that I chose for this week were:
Chimichurri Steak with a Sweet Potato, Poblano, and Tomato Jumble
Balsamic Fig Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Mixed Greens
Shrimp Pasta with a Kick with Garlic Herb Butter and Zucchini
Here’s how it works:
Hello Fresh sends me a box of colorful recipe cards and perfectly portioned ingredients, allowing me to prepare a balanced, delicious meal for my family without having to spend the time planning and shopping as much as I normally would.
I love that someone else takes care of all the parts of dinner that I don’t enjoy – especially the DECIDING what to eat! With Hello Fresh, we make and try things we would have never made or tried before.
Here are some reasons why we like Hello Fresh:
#1 :
We get to cook together – spending time side-by-side!
The recipe guide has pictures and instructions that are step-by-step and easy enough for a child to follow. My sons feel great about being able to prepare a delicious meal for the entire family.
#2:
It’s an ADVENTURE!
A cooking adventure of trying and preparing something new and discussing what we like about each meal, and what we want to cook again. We discover foods and recipes we would have never tried if it weren’t for Hello Fresh.
#3:
We all sit down to eat together!!
This is my favorite part of ordering from Hello Fresh. It’s a well-balanced meal that really encourages sitting down and eating together. Hot dogs and chicken nuggets don’t do that – I warm those up and hand them out.
Cooking these delicious Hello Fresh meals has us sitting down and enjoying a meal TOGETHER!!
Many of us know that everyone benefits when we sit down and eat meals as a family.
Here’s the rundown about how we felt about each meal:
Chimichurri steak – My boys LOVE steak so this was a hit. I didn’t put the chimichurri sauce on their steak, but I loved it on mine. We all enjoyed the sweet potato medley too!
Balsamic Fig Chicken – Chicken is something we eat on a regular basis, so trying this new recipe was fun and it tasted great!
Shrimp Pasta with a Kick was DE-LICOUS! Clark and I loved the meal, just as shown in the picture – pasta mixed with shrimp and zucchini. The other boys liked all their items separate, not touching. Ted, not much of a pasta eater – just ate the shrimp and zucchini.
My version – not as pretty as the picture, but definitely tasty!
I order from Hello Fresh to add some variety. To save money, I order the smallest meal size and just add my own ingredients to make enough for 6.
If you’d like to try Hello Fresh, I have a $40 discount for you.
Each is an affiliate link, that means if you click and decide to purchase, I may earn a small commission for recommending that product! Thanks for reading!
Review: This was the first audiobook I listened to in 2019 and I absolutely LOVED it! Chip and Joanna have a FASCINATING story that they tell in their own words. The book includes the story of how they met, as well as the hilarious story about how their show Fixer Upper almost didn’t happen. This is probably a fun book to read, but the Audiobook is amazing because the story is told by the authors! You can listen for free if you have a library card and use the Hoopla app!
Review: I listened to this one on my Hoopla App and recommend that you do the same. Brene shares stories on Joy, Vulnerability, Courage and Connection throughout the entire book. It was EXCELLENT!
Key Takeaways:
The whole-hearted person cultivates rest and play.
Brene says she has never interviewed a single person who lives with Joy without ACTIVELY practicing Gratitude. The one difference to becoming a JOYFUL person? Practice gratitude. When you look into the faces of your children and experience the shudder of vulnerability – actively express gratitude. (RATHER than catastrophizing). When a fear comes, verbally express gratitude.
Review: I listened to this on my Hoopla App, but would like to read this in printed form so I can highlight and underline. This book is filled with truth and encouragement.
“Jesus wants us to flourish. He wants us whole. He wants to take what the enemy meant for evil against us and turn it for good. He wants us to live life bold and free, courageous and steadfast.”
Susie Larson
Fully Alive is a journey of healing from the inside out through the redemption of Jesus’s eternal love for us. Susie suggests healthy ways to replace destructive thoughts and habits and answers to the anxiety, fear, and worry that weigh us down.
“Picture Jesus Himself holding your face in both of His nail-scarred hands and looking directly into your eyes. Hear Him say to you, “I love you. I see you. I hear your cries. I remember you. I will take on your pain. I will heal you.” Let those words soak into your soul!”
Review: I don’t read a lot of fiction. I’d rather be reading about someone’s life or learning something new. However, my friend gave me her copy of this book and said she loved it. Once I started reading, I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. Delia is a phenomenal writer and I see why this book is a New York Times Best Seller. At the time of this post, this book has received nearly 30,000 5-star reviews on amazon! (I have 1% of that with my book!)
It’s the story of a girl who raises herself. It’s a captivating story about how she survives, who she chooses to trust, and how she provides for herself.
Review: I neglected nearly all household chores for 24 hours to devour this memoir. Tara Westover shares her fascinating story of growing up in a Mormon family, not being allowed to attend school or do anything that her family considered “worldly.” She ends up teaching herself so that she can take, and pass ,the SAT. She then gets into college – and goes on to get her PhD. That is my short and boring version of a fascinating story.
Review: I saw a friend recommend this book and decided to purchase it. When it arrived in the mail, I read the first two pages to get a feel for what the book was about…but then I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up way too late too finish this one. When I read the last page, I wanted to read it again.
This is a book written by a therapist and writer – Lori Gottlieb. She shares stories about some of her clients, as well as what she learns from her own therapy. I appreciated the insights she gives about her patients and her own behavior.
Review: This is an old book that I finally read for the first time this year. It’s a fascinating true story about a missionary who smuggled Bibles into communist countries. The story describes one miracle after the other and leaves you full of hope and joy. It strengthened my faith in the goodness of God. This would be a good family read-aloud!
Review: Janet Benge writes biographies of people who made a positive difference in this world. Each book is about an ordinary person who does something extraordinary with their life. Her books are great for ages 8 and up. I recommend you read to or listen with your children or grandchildren. They are easy-to-read and so engaging! The three I read this year were:
Review: This was written by women, for women. They are Bible studies for each day to help you live a life of joy. Included in this study is access to a short teaching video on Joy by Tommy Newberry.
Review: I’ve always loved to read, but sometime between babies 3 and 4, I took a break from reading. I was just too tired and too busy.
However, after watching “The Blind Side” movie... I wanted to read the story behind the movie. I checked this book out from the library. The book was so interesting that I couldn’t figure out why I ever stopped reading. Michael Lewis is a phenomenal writer. This book was the catalyst to me reading voraciously again.
This year, I decided to reread The Blind Side. It’s the perfect book for football season because there is so much insight into the sport. I love this book and recommend it to anyone who loves a good, true story! You’ll especially enjoy it if you like football.
What was your favorite book of 2019! Leave me a comment!
Also – is there a book you are looking forward to reading next year? Let me know! Ted’s already set out a stack of books for me to read this year.
