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A Broken Kind Of Beautiful by Katie Ganshert is the story of Ivy Clark, a high fashion model who is "past her prime" at age 25. Desperate to take keep her creed going, she takes a job as a model for her stepmother's bridal line. BUt being back in Greenbriar, South Carolina brings up bitter memories of her father. She gets to know Davis Knight while she is there, but through it all she can't seem to get past her own emptiness, until she finally realizes she can find the unconditional love she always wanted in a relationship with God.
I really enjoyed this book! I was afraid at first that all the focus on the emptiness of Ivy's lifestyle would make the book depressing, but I actually thought the book was a very interesting read, with a lot of truths scattered in. I liked the way the author developed the relationship between Ivy and Davis - it was a sweet love story, without being too obvious. However, their story was not the main focus of the book - the other relationships were just as much a focus point, and just as interesting. Ganshert is very good at portraying character development (which I like).
I also felt like the overall story was very touching. Throughout the book Ivy has a hard time believing God could love her unconditionally because no one in her life has ever loved her like that - but as a reader, you know that Marilyn, her stepmother, has had a deep love for her from the time she was a little girl, and she repeatedly shows her love even when Ivy pushes her away. By the end of the book Ivy finally realizes that Marilyn has shown her the kind of love she always wanted, and if Marilyn could love her, mane God would too. I felt like crying at that breakthrough, because int he first part of the book I wanted to shake Ivy for not seeing how much her stepmother cared. It was just really sweet.
Anyway, I'd definitely recommend this book, and now I want to read more from Katie Ganshert!
Note: I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multonomah in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
The 500 Hats Of The Modern Day Woman is a book by Joyce Ellis that discusses some of the various roles that women fill in our everyday lives. These roles might include wife, mother, working woman, daughter/daughter-in-law, and others. Ellis offers advice and insights for 10 different "hats" that women wear in the chapters of this book.
I thought Ellis's writing style was conversational and easy to read. She offers lots of stories to illustrate her points. She concludes each chapter with resources to help with the particular "hat" she is discussing, as well as Bible verses and questions for further personal study. This book would be great for a Bible Study in an individual or group setting, especially for those who are new to Bible Study since it was more light and conversational.
I felt like the train of thought in some of the chapters was a little disorganized for me. I like clearly laid out points (that is probably my Type A personality showing through), and each chapter felt more like a stream of consciousness, so it as hard for me to pull individual points out at times. Also, though she briefly touches on it in the final chapter, this is not a book on how to balance all of our "hats" as women - you won't find time management or organizational advice in this book.
Still, I thought the thoughts Ellis shared in 500 Hats Of The Modern Day Woman were helpful, and this was a fun book to read.
Note: I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
(Excuse my smudged table - that's about as clean as it gets with toddler fingers!)
Recently in a sermon my pastor referenced a book that was coming out soon called "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus" by Nabeel Qureshi. Shortly after I saw that it had become available through Booklook, and I had to request it.
This book is Qureshi's personal testimony of coming to know Jesus. I never quite know what to expect when it comes to biography-type books - I think sometimes they can be a little dry. This one was most definitely not dry! I started reading it and could hardly put it down! It was very well written, and the story was fascinating to me.
The first part of the book describes Qureshi's upbringing and what Islam teaches, and I learned a lot of things I never knew about what Muslims believe and what the culture is like within Islam. Later in the book Qureshi becomes friends with David, who is a Christian, and it is through their friendship that he starts to look more closely at the claims of Islam and the claims of Christianity. Finally, after three years Qureshi's worldview is in pieces, and he asks God to send him a sign to show him the truth.
This book is such a powerful testimony, and I picked up two main things through it - first I think I gained a real appreciation for how difficult it is for a Muslim to choose to follow Jesus. They aren't just changing their minds, they are giving up their entire life, possibly putting their own lives in danger, and their decision to follow Jesus affects their entire community. That is another reason why I think this testimony was so powerful to read - Qureshi had to give up so much, but he knew he was gaining Christ, and that was enough.
Second, I now have more of a desire to know more about Christian apologetics and be able to present the evidence for my faith. I was so impressed throughout the book at how much David knew about what he believed and how he was able to have intelligent discussions with Nabeel about specific issues and evidence for Christianity. I have always liked apologetics, but I would like to be more familiar with different topics so I can "give an answer to everyone who asks" (1 Peter 3:15).
This book was so interesting and an excellent look at apologetics as it relates to both Christianity and Islam. I highly recommend it!
Note: I received this book for free from Booklook in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
Note: Just to be clear, I'm talking about the average, mentally healthy female here. There are many women who struggle with clinical depression or anxiety, and I don't pretend that those people can just "choose" to change their attitudes or feelings. These women may need to seek some sort of professional help to address those issues or disorders, and there is no shame in that. This post is meant to address the rest of us who just complain too much sometimes!
We've all heard the phrases.
"Happy wife, happy life."
"If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."
There is certainly some truth to those statements. Wives and mothers often do set the atmosphere for the household, and if they are unhappy, it's harder for everyone else in the house to be happy.
However, I was reading a book recently (The Happiest Life by Hugh Hewitt - read my review here), and something I read made me think of these phrases again - and about how, while they are accurate to a certain degree, they also can lead to some attitudes that might not exactly be correct.
First of all, I always hear these phrases mentioned in reference to the woman needing something to ensure that she's happy - whether that is needing "me time", needing to take care of herself, etc. But I feel like looking at those phrases that way implies that it is up to everyone else in the household to keep her happy - and if they fail, everyone in the house should also be miserable, because if mom isn't happy, no one else can be either.
That is an incredibly selfish thing.
I think by and large people have taken the idea behind this phrase and turned it backward. The truth is, it's not up to everyone else to keep the lady of the house happy - it's up to the lady of the house to choose to be happy. It's up to her to choose to set a happy tone for her household. Expecting your husband or your kids to do things to keep you happy is unfairly placing the burden onto them when it is your responsibility to create a happy atmosphere by choosing to have a cheerful attitude yourself.
Secondly, I think these phrases overlook the second half of the equation - because a happy husband makes a much happier household too. I'm not sure why "happy husband, happy house" isn't a phrase people say (maybe because it doesn't rhyme?), but something Hewitt said in his book made me realize that such a statement would be just as true as "happy wife, happy life."
I feel like focusing so much on the "happy wife" phrase might make us overlook the fact that as much as we as wives appreciate (and maybe even expect) gestures to make us happy, it wold also be a good thing to think of little things we could do to make a happy husband. His mental state affects the atmosphere in the home just as much as ours does. And even though it is his responsibility to choose to be happy, just as it is ours, I think we can all agree that it is that much easier to choose to be happy when little gestures of love are received. Especially from a spouse.
Bottom line - as a wife and mother, focusing on what would (or wouldn't) make me happy is not going to make anyone else's life happier. Choosing to focus on making the lives of my family happier, through my choices about my own attitude, is what is going to lead to a "happy life". I need to choose to have a cheerful attitude for the sake of my family . . . I need to choose to do things that will help others in my family feel a little happier as well.
Maybe it would be better (and more clear) to rephrase the statement.
"If you choose to be a happy wife, you (and your family) will have a happy life."
The beauty of it is that giving happiness to others usually comes back to make your own life happier as well - it is more blessed to give than to receive. That applies to happiness too.
I have never read anything by John Piper, though I have heard good things. I saw the A Godward Heart was up for review, and I decided to request it since I had been wanting to read one of Piper's books.
A Godward Heart is somewhat like a devotional book - it contains 50 chapters, and they are short enough to read in 5 minutes or less. I think some of the readings might be excerpts from some of his other books, but I don't think all of them are.
I would say that this was not like a typical light devotional! Piper discusses some deep theological topics and tough issues in light of what Scripture says. Each chapter really made me think, and it brought my focus back to God. I found myself reading several at a time, because though the subjects were not light, it wasn't the kind of book where you have to stop and think about each point before moving on to the next one. Each chapter encouraged me and made me want to read the next.
After reading a Godward Heart, I am interested in reading more by John Piper! I'd definitely recommend this for anyone who is looking for a devotional book that goes deeper than the surface and dives into biblical truths.
Note: I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multonomah's Blogging For Books program in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
I recently had the opportunity to review Distortion by Terrie Blackstock. I was so excited because she is one of my favorite authors! Her books are suspense/mystery which I always enjoy.
Distortion is part of the Moonlighters series, which follows four siblings who investigate crimes together. In this book, Juliet watches as her husband is gunned down in cold blood. When she and her siblings start searching for answers they realize that her husband wasn't who they thought he was. When her children are threatened, the Moonlighters go on a quest to bring his killers to justice before something happens to her children.
The book started off pretty strong, and you were wondering what Juliet's husband was involved in, and what the criminals wanted from her. But I felt like the plot petered off a little bit. It wasn't long before you knew what was going on, and you were just waiting for the characters to figure it out and catch the bad guys.
I thought this book was okay. I felt like I was just expecting a bit more since I've read so many of Blackstock's other books and loved them. The story was interesting, but just not as suspenseful as I was expecting. I did like the dynamics between the characters though, and it made me curious to read some of the other books in the Moonlighters series.
Also, check out the book campaign page for more info on joining the Facebook launch party with a chance to win a Kindle!
Note: I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
Distortion is part of the Moonlighters series, which follows four siblings who investigate crimes together. In this book, Juliet watches as her husband is gunned down in cold blood. When she and her siblings start searching for answers they realize that her husband wasn't who they thought he was. When her children are threatened, the Moonlighters go on a quest to bring his killers to justice before something happens to her children.
The book started off pretty strong, and you were wondering what Juliet's husband was involved in, and what the criminals wanted from her. But I felt like the plot petered off a little bit. It wasn't long before you knew what was going on, and you were just waiting for the characters to figure it out and catch the bad guys.
I thought this book was okay. I felt like I was just expecting a bit more since I've read so many of Blackstock's other books and loved them. The story was interesting, but just not as suspenseful as I was expecting. I did like the dynamics between the characters though, and it made me curious to read some of the other books in the Moonlighters series.
Also, check out the book campaign page for more info on joining the Facebook launch party with a chance to win a Kindle!
Note: I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
Last Sunday my dear friend, Ashley threw me a baby shower! She decided on a nautical theme, and she put it together beuaituflly! I was so impressed with her attention to detail, and with all the things she made herself.
Ashley made some paper pom poms herself to hang from the ceiling! The two in the back of this picture are her creations.
These paper straws were so fun and were the key to her color scheme. I was so impressed with how all the colors coordinated so well.
She made these cupcake toppers herself!
I loved how she decorated with nautical-themed onesies! She gave me these onesies afterward as part of her gift to me, which I loved. Such a great idea.
She also had a "Message In A Bottle" station, where guests could write me and Baby Boy a message on colorful paper. Then they rolled them up with some tape to be put inside the bottle. I thought this was really sweet, and a fun idea to fit with the nautical theme.
All the delicious food, including fruit, homemade fruit dip, vegetables, a cheese ball and crackers, a delicious punch, iced tea, and of course the cupcakes! And see the turtle and crab in the picture? Those are actually baby toys, which were also part of Ashley's gift to me!
Ashley's cat, checking out the presents.
The lovely hostess!
Ashley and me.
I got so many clothes for Baby Boy, which I needed!
My sister at my baby shower. Have I mentioned that she is pregnant too? She is due with a baby girl a couple months after me, so our babies will be pretty close in age again!
My friend, Danae, and me. Danae is also expecting again this fall!
Presents.
Me, enjoying some punch!
More outfits for Baby Boy.
I didn't get great individual pictures of all the guests, but this group shot turned out pretty well! I felt so blessed and loved by all my family and friends who came.
And this is just me and the bump. This little boy is so loved already!
It was such a beautiful shower, and it was special to me to have all my dearest family and friends there. Thank you for all of you who came!
It meant a lot to me that Ashley wanted to throw a shower for me, and all the thought she put into it touched my heart. And the result was so impressive! I'm thinking maybe she should become a party planner. She has been such a great friend, and I'm blessed to have her in my life! Thank you again Ashley!
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