Reading, Writing & Pondering

Lean On Me by Anne Marie Miller is one of the best books I have read recently. Lean On Me is not a self-help book, but rather a memoir in which the author shares her need for community following a crisis and how that community looked for her. She shares her story in the hopes that you will take away something for yourself to be in your own community. I appreciate that Anne Marie Miller shares her story so openly. While I can't say that I agree with every choice that she made along the way, I do appreciate her honesty and her openness in sharing her story in this book.(And I know I have struggles and make choices that others wouldn't make.) It helps to see how a real person has done "community" with successes and struggles. I am in the middle of transition as my family is in the hallway of our 2nd move in 3 years. We aren't in our new location yet, but we are no longer living in our former location either. We are halfway between living in temporary housing. I...

These past 3 years have been fairly stressful for my family and I as we have done some moving around for my husband's job. I was excited to review this little book because I thought it would help us maintain our health rough the challenges. I am so glad that I did. Cherie Calbom writes about stress and adrenal fatigue quite thoroughly in this little book. She shares how stress affected her, how it affects the reader, lifestyle changes to make and dietary changes to make including juicing. The book is easy to read for a layman, colorfully illustrated and has some good recipes included. I had read some of this information in her book on juices but most of he information is new and specific to this issue. I appreciate how she talks about mind, body and spirit working together for healing. Her holistic approach seems realistic to me. I would encourage anyone to read it who is under a lot of stress. I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a ...

Over the past 3 years, my husband and I have sold one house and moved and are now in process of moving again. During this time, I have done quite a bit of decluttering and de-owning. Yet, as we prepare to move again, I wondered if I could do more so I  read Marie Kondo's book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. This is a great little book to read and learn from as you seek to declutter and organize your home or apartment. I like that the book is small so I took it back and forth the past 2 weeks as we are in transition to move. It easily fit in my purse to pull out and read whenever I had a few minutes to spare. Marie Kondo  runs an acclaimed consulting business in Tokyo helping clients transform their cluttered homes into spaces of serenity and inspiration. With a three-month waiting list, her KonMari Method of decluttering and organizing has become an international phenomenon. In the life-changing magic of tidying up, she shares her experiences, what led her to ...

A Star for Jesus is an adorable board book for  children 4 to 8. Before even reading the book, my son loved the die-cut star cover. The illustrations are done in rich colors and are eye-catching throughout the book. A Star for Jesus is a simple tale of the Christmas story written in rhyming verse that focuses on the special star that led to the baby Jesus. The special ending helps little ones relate the story to the stars in today's sky.Relating to the stars God made, Crystal Bowman helps bring the Christmas story to life for young children. I highly recommend it for your own family reading times or as a Christmas gift for young children. It is a beautiful, well-told story. It honestly made all of our faces light up with reading pleasure.  . .I could see us using it annually at a Christmas gathering. I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.