Getting Excited Again!

So, today I went through my handwritten notes I wrote when I was talking on the phone to Michelle. And I typed them. Yes, perfectionist at work! Actually, I typed them so I could remember everything she said. My writing was so "hodge-podge," and I needed to organize it. So, I did. I became excited again as I read through what she told me! The possibility my book could be on bookshelves sometime this year really just makes me want to cry. I have wanted this for so long, but there have been times I have been discouraged and quit dreaming. Fortunately, I think I'm back to dreaming again, but knowing these dreams really could come true. And after being on the book-launch for Jill Savage's "No More Perfect Moms," and sharing my dreams with the launch team, Jill said she'd be happy to give me some counsel, too. What a blessing that is! So, I would certainly say it's been a good week here for me. I know that not all weeks will be like this, but for now, I'm basking in the excitement and encouragement I've received. It's been good for my soul, for sure.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years - Donald Miller

I found Donald Miller’s “Blue Like Jazz” in 2006.  I thought it was one of the best books that I have ever read.  I liked him as an author, and his style is unique.

I visited Mardel’s one day, and his book, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” was on clearance for a dollar.  Of course, I bought it.  And with my classes finished for the spring, I started reading it last week.  I could hardly put it down.

The most distinctive thing about Miller is his ability to make you believe you are sitting right across from him as he tells his stories.  You actually feel that you were there on the bike ride, or sitting in his living room as he talks to his film makers about the movie he is writing.  His wisdom, exceptional advice and encouragement to writers is second to none and inspired me.  I wanted to go sit at my computer and pound out a few pages, but I couldn’t read his book at the same time.  I chose to keep reading.

This particular book, as is true with his other books, is truly inspirational in nature and cause you to take a good hard look at your own life and ask the questions you need answers to. 

Ø                               Am I truly living the life that God wants me to live? 

Ø                               Am I missing the mark somewhere? 

Ø                               What can I do to change it?

Max Lucado wrote a review on the book and said that he wanted to read it again as soon as he finished it.  That is exactly what I wanted to say about it, too!

Donald Miller, I wish I could sit down with you and have a chat about writing.  I wish I could listen to your words of encouragement in person.  If you ever conduct a writing seminar in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I’m there!

If you are at a crossroads in your life, or even if you aren’t, this book will rejuvenate your spirit and excite your heart.

I am also placing the link to "Blue Like Jazz" on here.  This is a book that will challenge your thinking.

Keep writing, Donald Miller!

Love & War - Devotional for Couples (John and Stasi Eldridge)

Because of what my husband and I have gone through in our 20 years together, I like reading marriage books.  I like to know what other couples are saying about the good times as well as the not-so-good times.  John and Stasi Eldridge’s “Love & War Devotional for Couples” is a great resource for any couple at any stage of marriage.  It holds eight weeks of daily devotions for growing and reflection in marriage.  Each week is a new subject, like Remembering What We Wanted and Your Spouse Is Not Your Enemy.  While these seem like things we should always remember, sometimes it takes seeing them on a printed page for them to make the connection in our brain.  In the week entitled Your Spouse Is Not Your Enemy, we are reminded that we are supposed to be fighting FOR each other, not fighting WITH each other. There are relevant Bible verses throughout the book and prayers at the end of each day’s reading.  The Eldridge’s are well-spoken and heart-felt authors, and this book would be a great tool for any marriage in any season.  It would be a great wedding present, counseling tool, or anniversary gift.  It would also be a fantastic addition to your personal library.  I’m grateful to have this book, and I fully expect that I will use it in my marriage.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Lioness Arising - Lisa Bevere

Recently, I have been reading books that challenge me in ways that I needed to be regarding my relationship with God and my faith.  “Lioness Arising,” by Lisa Bevere, continued along that same vein.  This is not a book to make you feel good about yourself but a book to challenge you to get yourself together, make some close and lasting friendships with other women, stand together for those who cannot stand up for themselves, and in return, you will make a difference in your world.

She starts off explaining a dream she had while being pregnant.  It was about a lioness and what she believed she heard as this revelation… “With the birth of this son, you will awaken a lioness” (Bevere, p.3).  As she searched for the meaning of this very vivid dream, she wondered if maybe, despite her past and her present, God believed she was intended for more (p.9). She soon after learned that maybe the “Lioness Arising” was not about her.  Maybe it was a charge for Christian women to rise up together and change our world (p.12).

This book is an encouragement for us to look for ways to, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.  Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)

Bevere examines the lioness and the way she interacts with other lionesses, with her prey, and the way she fiercely protects her young… She talks about the fact that lionesses are loyal to each other in their pride, and they help each other, groom each other, take care of one another’s young, and they are protectors.  These lionesses work together, not separately.  They are stronger when they are together.  This sometimes goes against the grain of the world where women are constantly competing for different types of power.

After reading her book, I am going to be looking into the other books she has written.  Her style is easy to understand and kept my attention.  If I could have read the entire book in one day, I would have.

Lisa Bevere is described on her website this way… Passionate. Edgy. Relatable. Powerful. Funny. This seemed to be true of her as I read through her book.

I would certainly recommend this book to any women who want a challenge to be more so they can do more for others.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Amy Grant

We went to the library the other day, and they had a new addition there.  It's a book called Mosaic by Amy Grant. Well, I have always loved Amy Grant.  Yes, she's been controversial to the Christian faith because of her divorce and subsequent marriage to to Vince Gill.  But she is a human being and has a human life... just like the rest of us.

I am only half-way through the book, but so far, it has been great.  She has interwoven the lyrics to her songs within the stories she tells, and honestly, some of those songs have given me chills for as long as I remember.

If you need some encouragement in your life, or if you are bored, this book is a good read.  And you might walk away from it feeling better than you did when you started reading it.

Oh, and I am going to add that her new song, Better Than a Hallelujah, is one of the best songs I have ever heard in my life.  It explains all of our lives in a way that only Amy Grant can.