Reading, Writing & Pondering

  The Girl on the Bathroom Floor by Amber Emily Smith is a story of God working through a tragedy in a family.  My Review:  The Girl on the Bathroom Floor is sad but yet the story shows how God used redemption in this sad tale to heal a hurting family. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to deal with an unexpected death of a three-year old child. However, she also shares her miscarriage story and that is one I am sure many of us can relate to. I know I could understand that part well. At the same time, many of us have gone through hard things and, in the end, have found God to have worked through those difficulties. This story is inspiring in that way, especially for those who like memoirs. From TLC Book Tours: The Girl on the Bathroom Floor   is a raw and unflinching look at the moments most never share, the ones behind closed doors, on the bathroom floor, in your car, or hidden in the closet—where pain, fear, and grief seem to hit hardest. It’s also a p...

  From Trophy Wife to Cosmetic Surgeon by Victoria Johnson, MD is an autobiographical look at a woman who freed herself from an abusive relationship and went on to become a trusted cosmetic surgeon. Dr. Victoria Johnson started out in a marriage with a spouse who was abusive and disrespectful. She shares in this book how she turned in life around. It didn't happen over night but it did happen in time as she took steps to free herself from her husband and went back to school to become a doctor. She started out as a family physician and then became a cosmetic surgeon.  Throughout the book she shares her faith and how her faith in God and certain books influenced her life to make changes. Her faith may not be the same as yours but it is clear that it influenced her life for the better. She also tried to help others and to share with those she met along life's way. I am not familiar with the books that influenced her along with the Bible but will look into those more. At the same...

  Are you a sports fan? I'll be honest, I'm not a huge sports fan although I occasionally watch some. However, I really enjoyed Lucky Girl by Scout Bassett. Some people, like Scout, like to watch sports all the time--when they aren't participating in them. When you look at the cover of Lucky Girl , you probably noticed that Scout Bassett's legs don't look alike. Scout's story begins in China where she survived a fire that took her right leg. She also spent many years in an orphanage before being adopted and coming to America. While that may sound like a dream come true, it also is a dream that comes with a bag full of trauma and struggles as Scout felt different than other people, as a minority and a disabled person. In this book, she shares her story from her beginning until now. She also shares how she learned to accept herself as she is and many of the things she has overcome throughout her life.  I found Lucky Girl to be an inspirational book. I enjoy mem...

  Born to Shine by Kendra Scott is a mix of an autobiography and a business book. Part of this book tells Scott's story and how she grew up in the Midwest. Then she also talks about how she created her jewelry business carrying her Kendra Scott name. I honestly wasn't familiar with her jewelry but I found the book to be interesting and enjoyed reading it. Scott talks about her Midwestern roots and growing up in Kenosha, Wisconsin. As a Midwestern gal myself, I could understand the family values and hard work ethic that was a thread woven through her family. Her parents divorced and when she was in high school, her mom moved to Texas when she re-married. Not long after, Kendra moved to Texas to live with her mom and ended up staying there for many years. She started her business there and continues to run it from Texas. While her personal life was interesting, I also found how she created her business to be interesting. I have a background in fashion and a mother who worked in ...

I have watched Katie Brown on her how-to television shows many times over the years. It is always fun to see what she will cook or make but I don't feel like I really knew who she was. However, Brown's new book, Dare to See , gives me so much insight into her heart and soul that I truly kept reading her essays as one would read a novel. I read Dare to See straight through the book from start to finish but Brown encourages readers to start reading in any order with a story that speaks to your heart. Brown's book is a series of random essays that are based on true stories she experienced throughout her life. She has them grouped under these topics: doubt, hurt, defeat, understanding, love, abundance and hope. Each reading starts with a Bible verse, then Brown shares her story and the reading ends with a small section "For Further Reflection" and  "Put it into Practice." On the back of Dare to See , Brown encourages you to pick a story, read the story...

"There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven." (Ecc. 3:1, NLT) Patti Tingen's book, A God for All Seasons , shares this complete verse from Ecclesiastes 3 in her introduction. This beautiful book takes a look at every season and every month in that season as a part of our wholehearted Christian journey. A God For All Seasons starts with that brief introduction, then goes into winter, spring, summer and fall seasons. Tingen writes a brief essay about each season. Then she shares an essay for each month in the season. Each month has a theme that goes along with the season--like Thanksgiving for November and Giving for June. I enjoyed A God for all Seasons . This book shares part of Tingen's story through each of the essays. I appreciate how encouraging and down-to-earth she is. She makes it clear that we all struggle to live the Christian life during some seasons in our life and she doesn't come across as better or judgemental. Sh...

A War of Loves is a beautifully written, heartfelt autobiography offering hope to all of those seeking to reconcile their faith and sexuality today. Bennett shares his story and reflects on it in light of the Bible throughout the book. I truly appreciate his thoughts from all angles of the subject. Because we have a loved one that is gay and against Christianity because of it, my husband and I want to love him as Jesus would. I think reading this book has helped me to gain better perspective and to be able to offer more compassion. I see Bennett's heart toward serving Christ and sharing in such a way that the church and the gay community can both converse and reflect in a better way. Honestly, before the gay member of our family told us, we didn't know anything except what we heard on the sidelines of the discussion. After reading Bennett's book, I feel like I can better support our loved one. I also better know how to pray for him as a result of this book. I appreciate...

I am probably one of the few people who did not know who Rory and Joey Feek were before I read, This Life I Live last year. However, I enjoyed Rory's tender, thoughtful writing and then listened to their music several times since then. When I saw Rory had a new book out, Once Upon a Farm , I was anxious to see how he, Indiana and his girls were doing. Once Upon a Farm is book of random essays. I expected the book to be mainly about life after Joey passing away and fathering their daughter Indiana, who is in the cover photo with Rory. However, they seemed much more random to me and the book sort of jumps around from one subject to another in the short chapter essays. The good part of that is that you can set the book down and read short chapters whenever you get time. I enjoyed Once Upon a Farm as a whole. Rory is a thoughtful person and writer and I can relate to that as I have been told I am a deep thinker myself. However, because of the randomness and the wandering eleme...

Like many other people, I have been a fan of Roma Downey's since her days as Monica on Touched By An Angel. When I saw she was coming out with her new book, Box of Butterflies , I couldn't wait to read it. Box of Butterflies is as beautiful as it is inspirational. Downey's book is part memoir, part inspiration, and part beauty. Throughout the book, Downey shares some of her personal history and challenges that she has over come to be who she is today. She not only inspires readers through her story, she also shares poems and songs that have inspired her throughout her life. In the midst of her story and the inspirational poems and songs, she also shares beautiful pictures of butterflies and nature throughout the book. Downey also shares in Box of Butterflies how butterflies have a special meaning to her and how they have been a special messenger from God at different times in her life. Her stories and the pictures all work together to create a truly lovely and inspir...

Sarah Thebarge is a Yale-trained physician assistant. Well is her story of her spiritual and vocational calling to medical missions work in Togo, West Africa. Well is a different book than most books that I have read. This book is not divided into chapters. Well is Thebarge's story told pretty much cover to cover of her trip to Togo to work at the Hospital of Hope, a conservative Baptist missions-run hospital in Mango, Togo. Thebarge shares her medical challenges in treating the local people in great detail. She also shares her spiritual challenges and takeaways from the experience, along with the physical toll on her body and mind from the experience. Love Looks Around was my big takeaway from Well . I may not be able to go to a missions hospital and work in my lifetime, but I am able to look around with a love that comes from God and see what I can do to love those around me as I believe God would want me to. I am glad I read the book for the spiritual takeaways. I also...

This Life I Live is the story of Rory and Joey Feek.  As the cover says, it is about "one man's extraordinary, ordinary life and the woman who changed it forever." I really like that subtitle.  Actually the first half of This Life I Live is primarily about Rory and his life's journey up until meeting Joey. He shares details of his family life growing up and the challenges he overcame to live a life for God as a new Christian before he met Joey. It isn't all a pretty story. Like most of our stories, it is painful to read about mistakes he made, but he also shares how God has used those life experiences to grow him and, ultimately, to make him a better person. Rory shares how he believes we are all doing the best we can with what we know and he doesn't hold grudges these days. I think there is a lot of truth to that. In the second half of This Life I Live , Rory shares about how he met Joey and about their life together. He shares the facts of their lif...