"Life Code" by Dr. Phil McGraw

It’s been a while since I’ve written a book review, so I decided to write about one of the best books I’ve read lately. It’s called Life Code, and it’s written by Dr. Phil.

Now, we know that he can sometimes be a controversial figure, but I like him.

I was watching TV one day this winter, and he had a couple on the show who were involved with domestic violence. As you might know, I am a survivor of domestic violence, so I am very curious about anything that addresses the subject. Dr. Phil has really put himself out there to help those victims, and even the perpetrators, and I think it’s great.

Anyway, I’m not sure if that was the first time I heard him talk about his new book, Life Code, but I made up my mind I was going to buy it when I could.

And I did.

It’s an awesome book… one I wish I would have had as a young adult. In the first part, he writes about “The Real-World ‘Bad Guys,’” and gives practical ways to see who they are. He calls them “BAITER’s.” Regrettably, I have known some of these people in my life, even let them hurt me severely, and I’m sure you have known some, too. He tackles “The Nefarious 15,” and after reading their characteristics, well, just wow. I think if you aren’t sure whether someone fits into the category of being a Baiter, and you read this, you will definitely know.

The second part addresses how you can win “in the Real World.” He gives advice, counsel, wisdom… whatever you might call it, to succeed in your life. There is even a chapter on parenting, which I definitely appreciated, too.

“Again, I’m not telling you how the world should work, I’m telling you how the world does work.” (p.172)

We are used to “Dr. Philism’s,” as we call them, but really, he does know what he’s talking about.

If you’re young, old, man, woman, whoever you are, this book will be of great value to you if you are willing to look at things with the lens of truth.

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Code-Rules-Winning-World/dp/0985462736/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372476309&sr=8-1&keywords=life+code+dr.+phil 

"Unglued" by Lysa TerKeurst

Have you ever wanted to put your head inside a very large purse and just SCREAM?

Okay, I confess. I just finished this book, although our Bible study ended in January. I know I'm behind, but when I started working... Blah, blah, blah. I started working AFTER we were supposed to finish the book. So, that's really not a good excuse.

I'm not even sure what happened! Was it the depression that sunk in after graduation? Was it the coming-down feeling after the holidays? Was it the anxiety of the 5+ weeks between my husband's teacher paychecks from Dec - Jan? I really can't say, except for maybe all of it combined was just too much for me to handle. I was spending most mornings sleeping until noon, and when I got up, I played Bejeweled most of the afternoon. I would drag myself in to take a shower right before my kids got home from school.

And then, God blessed me with a really good job, though it's temporary, and my outlook on life shifted back to the land of the living. I began taking "Unglued" with me to work every day, and I read it (even reread a few chapters) when I stayed in for lunch. I even used my highlighter in some chapters of the book, which is highly unlikely for me. I used to highlight when I read, but I stopped for some reason... Hmmmmm.

So, I have to write about some specific things that I found out in this book. One thing that was very interesting to me was found in the back in the Appendix. There, on pages 194-196, I found out that I'm prone to being an "Internal Processor" and an "Internal Suppressor." What this means is that I'm a "Stuffer that builds barriers." Now, whether I "secretly" knew that or not, I'm not sure, but it was like a bell chimed quietly inside me.

In my own defense, I have had some rather difficult situations in my life. Thinking back on some of them now, I think I learned to not say anything in fear of retaliation when someone hurts me.

Tell someone they hurt your feelings, and they aren't your friend anymore.
Tell someone you love that you were hurt by their actions (or inactions), and they blame you for it.

The funny, yet interesting thing is that on the other side of the "Internal Processor" is the "External Suppressor," and at the heart of that intersection is the "Exploder that shames herself." Ouch, and that was me for a long time. It obviously didn't work too well, so I must have stopped at one point and changed over to the "other side." But I found that doesn't work well, either.

Building barriers with people you love and care about is not a good idea if you expect your relationships to flourish. Being aware of it does help when you are tempted to go to one place or another.

So, while I read this book, I found a few passages that screamed out my name.

"I've stopped positioning my life for miracles. In relation to my unglued struggles, somewhere along the line I stopped expecting God to work miraculously in me." (p.126)

Wow... when I examined myself in relation to those statements, I found that I was right there with Lysa.

"In short, God designed our bodies to respond to our thoughts. Negative thoughts lead to a crisis response - activating us physically but hindering our thinking. Positive thoughts allow us to process a situation accurately and respond in a healthy way." (p.143)

Negative thoughts has where I have found myself "naturally" gravitating towards.

"I'm not good enough."
"I'm not worthy of having good friends."
"I'm not..."

I find that if I am keenly aware of this shortcoming in myself, I can call it what it is. Maybe I can get out sooner than later.

There is so much I could say about this book, but I'm going to let it speak for itself. I would wholeheartedly recommend "Unglued" to everyone. While it was written for women, I think men would get something out of it, as well. And if you really want your life to change, you will be looking for resources full of life-giving wisdom to guide and help you. This book would most definitely be one to do it.

(image is from www.dayspring.com)

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!