Have you ever stopped to ponder what love looks like? What it involves? The sacrifices that take place when you love?
How often do we misuse the word love? "I love that pasta." OR "I love that house". Personally, I wish I could erase that verbiage from my vocabulary. Love is so much more than just words that come out of our mouth or a feeling. Love takes action and that action typically involves at least a bit of sacrifice either of your pride, time or finances.
Love Does is a collection of thirty-one true life examples of love in action. Author Bob Goff recalls example after example of how others have demonstrated love to him and then he, in turn, has demonstrated love to others. Each of us plan to "do something" that shows people in our lives how special they are but, if we aren't intentional about doing something, life gets in the way and time slips away. Every day we get up with the potential to live a life where love does. Don't wait for all the circumstances to be perfect to act on love. Be there physically for someone. Forgive someone who has wronged you, without fanfare and quickly. Accept the "invitation you receive every morning to live a life of complete engagement, a life of whimsy, a life where love does...to participate in this amazing life for one more day."
Each chapter is independent of the others except for by theme, easy to read, whimsical, and humorous. Each challenge the reader to take action in their own lives and not just think about love but "do love", not only within our family unit but truly loving friends and strangers as well. He lives the kind of life I want to live, willing to step out in faith, take risks, show agape love, and encourage others to do the same. I would recommend this book to any adult.
I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life
Each of us long to make a difference and make the most of the life God has given us. Too many times we are waiting for the right time to come along to do so. What if that time never does come and circumstances are never perfect? All we are promised is the moment we are living in right now. Today is the day we can begin living the life God created us to live and make the most of every moment we have left.
The authors begin with encouraging the reader to truly live the dash (the mark that will be on our headstone between our birth and death), making the most of each day and living our lives with meaning. In the first chapter, the author asks a pointed question--why can't we all live our lives more like we are dying? If you knew you only had thirty days to live, you would make contact with those you love and make certain those relationships were on solid ground. You would forgive those who had wronged you and not worry about what tomorrow may bring. You would find joy in the everyday little things you do (well, maybe not cleaning the bathroom!). Why do we wait until we are dying to live this kind of life? Would our lives not be much more joyous and fulfilling if we looked at every day as if it might be our last? We each can choose what we do with the days God has given us and we also choose the attitude with which we perform those tasks and activities.
There are hundreds of self-improvement books on the bookstore shelves. What makes this one different? The book is divided into four sections--one for each week of the month: Live Passionately, Love Completely, Learn Humbly, and Leave Boldly. Each section has 7 - 8 chapters which focus on the topic and each challenge you to examine your life and give practical ways you can begin to live a transformed life. While no book is a fix-all, I do like the way the authors chose to set it up so that one chapter applies to each day of the month and could be used as a suplement to your devotional since not a great deal of scripture is used. Nothing in the book is "new under the sun" but each thought is a good reminder to the reader to live each moment as if it were your last, love others in a way that will make a difference in your life and theirs, and living a life that will make the world a better place.
While not one of the best I've read, this book does provide reminders of what is truly important in life we need at times and is an easy read. That may bother some readers who are looking for more depth and meat than One Month to Live may give them.
I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was not obligated to provide a positive review.
The authors begin with encouraging the reader to truly live the dash (the mark that will be on our headstone between our birth and death), making the most of each day and living our lives with meaning. In the first chapter, the author asks a pointed question--why can't we all live our lives more like we are dying? If you knew you only had thirty days to live, you would make contact with those you love and make certain those relationships were on solid ground. You would forgive those who had wronged you and not worry about what tomorrow may bring. You would find joy in the everyday little things you do (well, maybe not cleaning the bathroom!). Why do we wait until we are dying to live this kind of life? Would our lives not be much more joyous and fulfilling if we looked at every day as if it might be our last? We each can choose what we do with the days God has given us and we also choose the attitude with which we perform those tasks and activities.
There are hundreds of self-improvement books on the bookstore shelves. What makes this one different? The book is divided into four sections--one for each week of the month: Live Passionately, Love Completely, Learn Humbly, and Leave Boldly. Each section has 7 - 8 chapters which focus on the topic and each challenge you to examine your life and give practical ways you can begin to live a transformed life. While no book is a fix-all, I do like the way the authors chose to set it up so that one chapter applies to each day of the month and could be used as a suplement to your devotional since not a great deal of scripture is used. Nothing in the book is "new under the sun" but each thought is a good reminder to the reader to live each moment as if it were your last, love others in a way that will make a difference in your life and theirs, and living a life that will make the world a better place.
While not one of the best I've read, this book does provide reminders of what is truly important in life we need at times and is an easy read. That may bother some readers who are looking for more depth and meat than One Month to Live may give them.
I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was not obligated to provide a positive review.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Interrupted
Allie Everly has to grow up way too quickly when her mother is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Allie refuses to let anyone else care for her no matter how difficult it is even when her mother is irrational and doesn't seem to know who Allie is. Allie's mother had taught her that Christians are foolish and that there is no God. If her childhood friend, Sam, hadn't shown up at the door when he did, Allie thinks she might have been able to save her mother. Her father left them years ago so Allie has no one.
Following the funeral, Allie is taken from her home in Tennessee with only a few of her belongings and placed in a home in Maine with Miss Beatrice Lovell, an older woman whose children are grown. Miss Beatrice tries for years to break Allie's hard heart but Allie makes it quite difficult and clear that Miss Beatrice is NOT her mother. The best each of them hope for within Miss Beatrice's home is polite strangers, even though I do feel that Miss Beatrice tried everything she knew to get through to Allie and to show her love. The only joy Allie seems to find is in the writing she does to her mother and sketching.
Several years later, Sam shows up visiting his aunt in Maine. Sam has always been there for Allie even though her treatment toward him when they were children was less than ideal as well. When he heads off to war, Allie realizes she may never see him again. Might this be the tool that will wedge open the small crack in her hard shell? Is it too late for Allie to love and be loved? Will she ever move beyond her bitter attitude?
Set just prior to WW II, Interrupted is the first Young Adult published writing by sixteen year old Rachel Coker. As a middle school teacher, I can say that Rachel's writing far exceeds the ability of most sixteen year olds. While Allie did frustrate me due to her lack of desire to even be kind to the woman who was reaching out to her, does that not indicate that Ms. Coker did a good job in her portrayal? Her writing evoked that frustration in me. I enjoyed all the different facets of Allie's personality that Ms. Coker revealed throughout the story. Just the opposite of Allie, Sam is an endearing young man who continues to turn the other cheek.
I have no doubt that Interrupted is the first of many books written by Rachel Coker which will grace the bookstore shelves. I look forward to reading the story she comes up with next. I did receive this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.
Following the funeral, Allie is taken from her home in Tennessee with only a few of her belongings and placed in a home in Maine with Miss Beatrice Lovell, an older woman whose children are grown. Miss Beatrice tries for years to break Allie's hard heart but Allie makes it quite difficult and clear that Miss Beatrice is NOT her mother. The best each of them hope for within Miss Beatrice's home is polite strangers, even though I do feel that Miss Beatrice tried everything she knew to get through to Allie and to show her love. The only joy Allie seems to find is in the writing she does to her mother and sketching.
Several years later, Sam shows up visiting his aunt in Maine. Sam has always been there for Allie even though her treatment toward him when they were children was less than ideal as well. When he heads off to war, Allie realizes she may never see him again. Might this be the tool that will wedge open the small crack in her hard shell? Is it too late for Allie to love and be loved? Will she ever move beyond her bitter attitude?
Set just prior to WW II, Interrupted is the first Young Adult published writing by sixteen year old Rachel Coker. As a middle school teacher, I can say that Rachel's writing far exceeds the ability of most sixteen year olds. While Allie did frustrate me due to her lack of desire to even be kind to the woman who was reaching out to her, does that not indicate that Ms. Coker did a good job in her portrayal? Her writing evoked that frustration in me. I enjoyed all the different facets of Allie's personality that Ms. Coker revealed throughout the story. Just the opposite of Allie, Sam is an endearing young man who continues to turn the other cheek.
I have no doubt that Interrupted is the first of many books written by Rachel Coker which will grace the bookstore shelves. I look forward to reading the story she comes up with next. I did receive this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.
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