Counting Blessings: Wit and Wisdom for Women By Kerry Blair

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Feb 262010
 



I have been forgetting an important lesson in my life, I need to remember to count my blessings. With all of the struggles we experience in life, we often times get boggled down with feeling sorry for ourselves. It is wonderful when we can read something that is a gentle reminder to slow down and celebrate our life. I love how at the beginning of the book, words from the Hymn “Count Your Many Blessings” is quoted:


“So amid the conflict whether great or small, Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.” -Johnson Oatman Jr, “Count Your Many Blessings,” Songs for Young People, 1897


Kerry Blair has written a short book,comprised of inspiring stories and essays. It is small enough to slip into your purse, computer bag, etc. and pull it out to read a chapter. Even with all of the many huge novels I have been reading lately, this book is like a close friend to comfort me after a hard day. It is split into three parts with smaller chapters found in each part.
-Part One: Counting Blessings
-Part Two:Counting the Best of Now and Here
-Part Three: Counting on the Promises

One chapter that touched me so much is called, “A Bequest of Wings”. This is how it starts…

“Bad things do happen to good people. Sometimes the worst things happen to the best people. Right now, a handful of the best people I know are facing the most difficult things I can imagine-cancer, the serious illness of a parent, abandonment and divorce, and the death of a child. I wish I knew what to say to them. “

Kerry then wrote of when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She couldn’t understand why God was letting this happen to her. She goes on to explain some wonderful, healing things that she read. The thing that I loved reading the most was this, a quote by Margery Wilson in 1917, as the world contemplated the War to End All Wars:

“Though life seems to challenge us harshly at times, to make us eat bitter bread with the sweet, nevertheless, if we will stop wailing and look we will see a sustaining arm across our shoulders, the arm of infinite love-and if we listen we can hear a voice whispering, ‘Deep within you is the strength to bear anything, the nobility to be willing to do so, and the intelligence to create magnificently and beautifully, come what may.”

I know sweet Kerry has been through many challenging things in her life, but she is still smiling. I know that her trials probably wear her soul down, but she is still so loving and kind to those around her. You can just feel this love when you are in her presence. I can assure you that reading this book, “Counting Blessings” will lift your spirits high and give you the strength to carry on day after day. I have felt this lift the past few weeks as I have pondered the words in this book.

This is Kerry Blair’s first full-length work of non-fiction (published in 2008) and has eight published novels with Covenant. She lives in Arizona and I know that she would love to hear from you.
Here is her website http://www.kerryblair.com/books.php and her blog is here

You can e-mail Kerry at kerrylynblair@aol.com

Thank you Kerry, for sharing your wonderful humor and joy with the world through your writing.



This is Kerry at last years Whitney Awards Gala, after winning the lifetime achievement award.

Of One Heart: Being Single in the LDS World by Valerie J. Steimle

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Jan 292010
 


I have been reading one of the most fantastic books! It is on being single and gets to the heart of what it is like. The author of this book is Valerie J. Steimle. She has lived the hard life of being a single Mom, after her husband died in his sleep, and left her to raise their nine children by herself. After reading that in the first chapter, it made my burden feel so light, in that I am only single parenting two children instead of nine.


Here is a good synopsis for the book found on the back of the book.

“In the LDS world (or the world of The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) most adults are married with children. It has only been in the last ten years that bein
g single in the church has become much more common. Unfortunately, marriages are failing everywhere and there are now one third of the adults at church who are single.

Whether by divorce, death of a spouse or never married at all, there are challenges to being single in a predominately married wo

rld. Challenges I had never realized until I became single myself when my husband of 25 years suddenly passed away leaving me with nine children at my charge. A daunting task to say the least.

This book was written to help all those who are single, all those who have single friends and all those priesthood leaders with single members under their jurisdiction. I have written this book to help others understand what it is like to be single and included writings from other singles on how they feel about being single. “


From the beginning of this book I felt like…Valerie “gets it”. Another thing I want to say, is that this book was not published by the big companies that normally publish LDS books. This is a good thing, because I feel that Valerie was able to be more open and honest than if this book had been published by one of them. For example, she writes one whole chapter on “A Note to the Priesthood”. Basically, she outlines for Priesthood leaders things they should know and how they should learn to understand their role in helping the singles in their ward. This is done respectively, but bluntly. The number one things that most people don’t understand is this point she brings out, “Understand that many worthy single adults feel uncomfortable at Sunday meetings because of their situation.” I still feel this way at times. I was once a part of a couple and now I am alone sitting there with my children. The weekends they are with their Dad, I feel even more uncomfortable sitting there. I have appreciated those who have put forth the effort to make me feel wanted and sat by me or asked me to come sit with them and their family.

Another aspect that I needed to read and sink into my heart was this advice. It is about how to cope with being single.

-Make sure to pray and have scripture /reading study. We must keep the spirit with us always regardless of our circumstances.

-Attend your church meetings every Sunday. Valerie says,”Even if you just sit and feel the Spirit, that time helps you for the rest of the week and it will refill your emotional cup.”

-Church Service: Ask your priesthood leader if you want a calling and do not have one yet. It does feel good to serve others and this takes your mind off or your own problems.

-Support the singles program: this is something that I should do more of. Truthfuly, I just haven’t had much time to do many things besides parenting, teaching full-time and reading. ;)

-Keep a Song in Your Heart. I just love what Valerie said here,”When experiencing great tribulations and having to take one day at a time, it is so very difficult to have joy; in fact many times it is painful. Whenever you can: remember that Heavenly Father loves you. There are many looking down on you that love you and want you to keep a song in your heart.”

I feel that every member of the church, male and female should read this book. This book was written for those church members, who are single and over thirty years old. It was also written for those wanting to know how to help their friends and family members who are single. She has included as much information as possible, to help others understand, life from the single perspective. I also liked how Valerie pointed out one more reason all members should read this book.

“As my stake president so wisely counseled: ‘Everyone will eventually be single sometime in their life.’ Whether you are taken and leave a spouse behind or your spouse is taken and you are left behind; whether you have never had the chance to marry, or find yourself divorced:Everyone will be single.”

I wish that I could share more from this book because it has given me such strength to carry on in my single life. Valerie list many resources, helpful websites, articles and books about coping with single life and single parenting. This book was needed in my life. It speaks to the world in ways, we singles would like to but sometimes can’t express, but gives us a voice to share our lives and struggles with others.

I am grateful for Valerie listening to promptings of the Spirit that she should write this book. This book needed to be out there. I appreciate her sending me a copy to review; but I am more grateful for her sending the book to lift me up and increase my faith and not lose hope.
This book is available at Amazon.com. I recommend that every Priesthood & Relief Society leader in the church read this book. If you know someone in your family who is single, buy this book for them. (Read it first though, so you understand how you can help them through this trial.) If you are single, especially raising children on your own, you must have this book in your life. I promise you, that it will bring amazing light and knowledge in your life and you will not feel so alone in your journey.

I also highly recommend you visit Valerie’s website here. It is called, “Strengthen Your Home” and you can read about another wonderful book she has written called, “Home is Where The Heart Is”. This book gives you 60 articles about the strength of the family. There are many aspects of life that affect the family and Valerie J. Steimle touches on the strengths and distractions of what is so great about your family.

Have you ever asked yourself what is missing in your life? There is much commotion in the world and people are looking for fulfillment. Families are so important. They are what stabilizes us. We become so distracted with finances, work, entertainment and government that we don’t pay attention to what is really important: our families.






Means Justifies the End by Rick P. Avery

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Hillary's Reviews
Jan 132010
 

Hello Friends!
I decided for my book review today, I would review the book “Means Justify The End”, a book that was sent to us from the author, Rick Avery. I reviewed it briefly on one of our podcasts, but it was near the end, and I don’t feel like I did it justice:) So here you go!
Rick’s book is in first person and is written about his life experiences, growing up in a family which made sure that he learned about God and believed in Him. He writes interesting life stories and thoughts about his childhood regarding the concept if the means justify the end. His point is how by having the right attitude he made his life better, and by having the wrong one, his life was more challenging.
One of the saddest, yet poignant chapters I liked was about how his sister married this guy, who was perhaps not the best choice for her. They decided to take her little brothers camping. The boys, including Rick, were under 9 years old. They found a place to camp, left Bonnie, his sister there to hold the spot, then try to drive around to get a good place to park the car. Unfortunately, the brother in law didn’t have the greatest amount of common sense, or sense of direction and basically killed the car in the wrong area. By this time it had gotten dark. They started on foot to find Bonnie, carrying their sleeping bags. The brother-in-law got angry and would swear at them with them for keeping a slow pace (hello! they were little!!) until finally the boys decided to say a prayer to ask for help. Sure enough, along came a police officer who had been looking for them because Bonnie had flagged him down to ask for help. Rick learned an important lesson “My mom taught us all to pray, and I thank my Father in Heaven for a mom like mine. I find it interesting that [brother-in-law] Jack used the Lord’s name in vain , and all it did was make things worse. We called upon the Lord in praise, and it made everything right”. Interestingly enough, Bonnie divorced him and married a good man.
I liked this and quite a few other stories he tells in his book. I think it is a good, quick to read book that both men and women would enjoy reading. It also gives a good message and gives you things to think about. It is easy to find online and would be worth the read!

I Hate It When Exercise is the Answer by Emily Watts

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Hillary's Reviews
Jan 062010
 

Hi Friends!

Hillary here! I am excited to have Wednesdays to review what I have been reading. Some weeks it’s quite possible that all you will see is a smiley face :) some weeks you may see a gianormous (sp?, wait- word?) review. Either way, I will do everything I can to make sure I post. And maybe, just maybe I might eventually create my own blog to attach to this one too. You just can’t have enough of me! Well, yes you can. ANYWAY, not the point!

The point is, I have just finished reading Emily Watts’ new book, “I Hate It When Exercise Is The Answer.” As a non-fiction junkie I would have to say this is a very good book. Emily writes short, informative, yet entertaining chapters that really make you think, with the “exercise” being at the end of the chapter. I love how she ties exercise in to be more of the non-sweaty kind. I thought it was very clever and well done. I must admit though, I am a fan of the sweaty kind of exercise, and I was curious to see if she had written an exercise book :) The irony in my life, is that I love to exercise, yet can’t EVER remember how to spell it. I had to double check for this post :)

One of my favorite chapters was an “exercise in perspective”. I loved how she said a way to look at challenges: “Is this really as bad as it seems? Chances are, this challenge isn’t really as big as it feels. It’s just closer to my heart right now.” She followed up with hymn #115 which in part states “Earth has no sorrow that Heav’n cannot heal.” I love that. It gives such comfort.

In all there are 31 “exercises”. You can read them one at a time, a day or two at a time, or read it all in one setting. It’s a quick, enjoyable read! I think Emily did a fantastic job and I am really a big fan! Thanks!

FTC FYI: LDSWBR received a free review copy of I Hate It When Exercise is the Answer by Emily Watts courtesy of Deseret Book.

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