Whisper

Whisper.  Just hearing the word makes you feel that hushed tone wash over you.  You don't just whisper to anyone.  Whispering requires leaning in and softly use your breath to compose words.  It's intimate.  It's personal.  It's relationship at a deeper level.

In Whisper, Mark Batterson show you how to lean in and hear the voice of God by learning seven of God's love languages.

"Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." - 1 Samuel 3:9

When I first picked up this book I assumed the focus would be prayer and meditation but it is so much more than that.  Mr. Batterson has a way of intertwining historic people and events with God's Word to drive his points home and leave you sitting there, book open on your lap, soaking in what you just read.  Whisper is about love and listening for God's still, small voice amiss a crazy, loud life. 

I was careful to check all of the Biblical references that were mentioned throughout the book and this sent me on a deeper study than just reading the book cover to cover, which I really enjoyed.  The Bible has again became alive to me!  Many of the points that the author pointed out I have heard before but, because of their relevance, they will always bear repeating.  After reading Whisper, I felt empowered and am prayerfully going back through the book to delve even deeper into this study of hearing God's voice, getting more into God's Word, and finding my "whispering spot."

Mr. Batterson has a writing style that I have always enjoyed and I love how personable his books are.  He is not afraid to give you a glimpse into his life and struggles and the historical stories are always fascinating.  You always finish his books feeling closer to the Lord as well as remembering quirky stories that you would most likely have never known otherwise.

The hardest chapter for me to read was the very last chapter which talked about pain being the seventh love language.  Though hard to read I get it at the same time.  There is a purpose beyond our pain, you just need to have faith and "listen to what God is saying during these tough times."  You'll come out on the other side stronger than you ever were before. 

I enjoyed this book immensely and if you are a fan of Mark Batterson's work I'm sure you will too.  It was thought-provoking, deep, powerful, and wonderful!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing and Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.

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Educated

My Rating: ★★★★★

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Publisher: Random House

Release Date: February 20, 2018

Genre: Biography & Memoirs

Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag". In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard.

Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent.

Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home.

Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes and the will to change it.

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My Review

Being the victim of abuse is something that is incredibly hard to talk about.  You want to hide your scars, feeling shame and guilt for your abuse.  It's sick and twisted and only those that have suffered at the hands of others can truly understand.

I was abused for almost 15 years at the hands of men that told me they loved me, but who also preyed on my weaknesses, and took out their frustrations and hatred on me.  There were times the abuse was very physical but I could handle that aspect.  In the moment the pain is overwhelming but once it was over those bruises eventually heal and you would rationalize that you had somehow deserved it.  What sticks with you is the words spoken.  The lies that were said about me, the name calling, the hatred spewed all over me.  I would replay the scenes over and over, a continual battle in my mind.  It has taken me years to recover from many of the psychological wounds that were inflicted on me and on days of weakness the words can still haunt me.  The battle is never truly over.

When I picked up Educated by Tara Westover I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into.  The premise was intriguing; a girl who had never been formally educated eventually earning her PhD from Cambridge University.  Wow!  I was expecting Tara's story to be one of inspiration but after devouring the book in less than two days I realized the road to her doctorate was paved with pain and abuse, and all at the hands of her family.

Growing up, Tara was always told she was special but she didn't feel special.  She always knew that her family was different, but it wasn't until she made the bold move to pursue a college education at the age of seventeen, without any prior formal education, that she realized just how different, and dysfunctional, her family really was.  

Tara's dad is a Mormon preacher, with bipolar tendencies, is highly paranoid of the government and owns a junkyard.  Her mother follows everything her father says, and is a midwife and herbalist.  They are a survivalist family that lives on an Idaho mountain, incredibly isolated, with no socialization except for a few family members.  They did not believe in modern healthcare so there were no immunizations and they used homeopathy to deal with symptoms of very serious injuries and illnesses that should've been dealt with in a hospital.  They were all born at home and Tara didn't technically "exist" until she was nine years old when she received a Delayed Certificate of Birth.  Her mother didn't even remember her actual date of birth, so the date of birth on her birth certificate is an educated guess. 

Their Mormon faith was supposedly the most important aspect in the family but the more you read about Tara's journey the more you get the feeling that their "faith" is used as a manipulative tool and that the "truth" they lived by did not come from the Bible, but from Tara's dad, who would lecture incessantly on certain subjects.  I do not know much about the Mormon religion but I cannot see any faith being ok with what was allowed in this family: the manipulation, the lies, the abuse.  Tara's mom actually witnessed Tara being physically abused at the hands of her older brother Shawn, but tried to rationalize it instead of helping her daughter.  The abuse from her brother never happened in front of their father and when Tara came to her dad and accused Shawn of this abuse her father wanted actual "proof" of what she was accusing him of.  Her parents eventually turned the tables and actually convinced Tara that she herself was insane, saying that her memories were false, and she began to doubt everything that she thought was real in her life, which led to a mental breakdown, and eventual estrangement from half of her family.

Educated was incredibly hard for me to read and yet at the same time I couldn't put it down.  To read of the physical abuse that she endured at the hands of her brother, and the psychological abuse from her parents and siblings made me sick to my stomach, and brought back memories from my own abuse.  I felt angry that Tara had to go through what she went through, but I am so glad that she fought for herself and her education, and got herself out of a horrible situation.  Her memoir gives hope to those who feel like they are in hopeless situations and proves that you can overcome any obstacle, no matter how big.

There has been quite a bit of press about Tara's story since Educated was released a few days ago.  Tara herself was even interviewed on CBS This Morning yesterday.  I was curious to see what she looks like and was relieved to see how normal she looks.  Going through all she went through, and her injuries, I wasn't sure what to expect.  After reading her story I feel like I know Tara and my heart goes out to her as she continues her journey.

Though tough to read, I do believe that everyone should read Educated.  It is hands down one of the most powerful and well-written memoirs I've ever read.

***Added December 4, 2018***

Educated has won the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Memoir!  You can read Tara Westover's reaction to the success of Educated on Goodreads.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House and NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.

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Naturally Thin

I have been struggling with my weight off and on my entire life.  I have been through times of anorexia in my high school years, through college, all the way to where I am now, which is an obese state, and everything in between.  My weight has been one big roller coaster and I for one am ready to be off this ride.

There are moments in my weight loss journey where I knew what I was doing was wrong but there are so many more moments where I felt like everything I was doing was right. Since going through menopause I feel like I am doing that right now.  I'm doing everything I've done in my past and nothing is working.  Actually, I'm gaining and am the biggest I've ever been in my entire life at the writing of this review.

Naturally Thin by Jean Antonello was written for people like me; people who want better, want healthier, want this time to be the last time, and want to lose weight the right way.

From the moment I picked up this book I knew this was something different.  Within the first few chapters I was saying, "Wow! That's me!" until it became redundant.  You can tell from her writing that Ms. Antonello has been there and she knows what she's talking about.  She discusses why our bodies are hard-wired to hold onto fat and where many diets have it all wrong.  I love all of the stories included in the book from those that have been down this road before and their eventual victory.  What they had to do to gain that weight loss freedom is very inspiring and encouraging!

My only complaint is that this book is a tad on the long side and the information, though helpful, can get a little repetitive, but this book is perfect when used as a reference or when you need motivation.

Naturally Thin is highly recommended for anyone who is done with yo-yo dieting, wanting to break the diet cycle, and is willing to put forth the effort to get onto the road to lasting health and weight loss.  This book is not a magic pill or a plan that will have you losing 20 pounds in 24 hours, but it will instead help you break free from food addictions, off the diet mentality, and on to lasting weight loss and freedom, if you put what you read to practice.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Heartland Book Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.

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Unshakable Trust

"The best proof of love is trust." - Dr. Joyce Brothers

When you're a young child it is easy to trust.  Your innocent, naive, and trusting someone comes naturally.  It's not until someone betrays that trust that you begin to adopt an untrusting stance.  It's a defense mechanism.  You've been hurt before and you do not want to have to endure that hurt ever again.  So, you build emotional walls and live a guarded life, trusting no one.

In Unshakeable Trust, Joyce Meyer dives deep into the many facets of the concept of trust, and shows you that there is true joy when you put all of your trust in God "at all times, in all things."

"Trust is dependent on what we know about the character of the one being trusted.  If we cannot believe that person is good, just, kind, loving, and trustworthy, then we cannot put our confidence in them."

None of us are perfect.  We've all fallen, all sinned, and have all had instances in our lives where we could not trust or could not be trusted ourselves.  We live in a fallen world, there is always going to be someone that burns you at one time or another, but there is One that we can put our absolute trust in every moment of every day and He will never fail us: Jesus.

Joyce does an incredible job of reminding her readers just how trustworthy Jesus is.  This book is immersed in Biblical references that are on the subject of trust.  After doing a quick search myself I realized that the word TRUST in mentioned in the Bible between 150-180 times.  We need to trust!

Sprinkled throughout the book, Joyce encourages you to do certain tasks that will help you on your journey to trusting the Lord.  With what I'm going through personally in my life right now the reminder of trust is incredibly important.  I must remember that my future is secure as I put my trust in the Lord and His plans for my life.  

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" - Jeremiah 29:11

I highly recommend Unshakeable Trust for everyone but especially if you are in a season, like I am, where trust can be incredibly hard.  It's a wonderful reminder of where to put your trust and that you can find joy, by trusting, even in your darkest times.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from FaithWords and NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.

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Write Smart, Write Happy

Growing up my mom always told me I had the heart of a writer.  Before I could even write I would make up stories and poems and recite them to my family.  As I got older I would fill notebooks with all sorts of stories, never really thinking they would amount to anything.  I just loved to write.

I won a few writing contests throughout elementary school and in junior high my creative writing teacher submitted one of my stories, without my knowledge, into a contest for a national magazine and I won!  In high school my focus was more on the performing arts, but all of my English teachers encouraged me to pursue writing.  I didn't take their advice and my writing professionally stopped there.  I have, however, maintained a detailed journal throughout the years in hopes that one day I could tell my story.  For me, writing isn't about being famous, or having the most followers on social media, it's for the love of writing.

In the back of my mind I do dream about getting serious and one day getting published.  To see my name on the cover of a book would be a dream come true, but how do I get serious?  Where do I start?  There's so much to being published besides the writing itself, and it can be daunting and overwhelming for someone who is just starting out, which is why I was so happy to receive a copy of Write Smart, Write Happy by Cheryl St. John.

Talk about an incredible resource!  This book is a wealth of information for those that want to get serious about their writing and being published.  Ms. St. John goes into great detail about every aspect of writing imaginable, from the importance of continuing to have a social life and tips on getting organized, to the importance of self-discipline, making your writing time a priority, and even tips on creating a writing space.  The author's honesty about her own personal journey as a writer is refreshing and is beautifully intermingled with practical tips that you can put into practice immediately.

So many believe that a writer's life is glamorous but Ms. St. John sets the record straight, outlining the many steps it takes to be published, as well as dealing with bad reviews, ugly rejections, and the personal sacrifices that you have to make to see your dream realized.  The author does not sugar coat anything, but lays everything out there in black and white, leaving you with no questions about what it takes to be a successful writer.

I tried to read this book straight through but I kept stopping to jot down notes and highlight, so I finally gave up and just skimmed it.  This will be a resource that I will be coming back to more and more as I get more serious about my writing.  After skimming this book I actually pulled out a manuscript that I've been working on for a few years and started working on it again.  I am now more motivated than ever to one day be published, and with Write Smart, Write Happy I have an incredible tool to help me get focused, and do it the right way.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.

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Uninvited

Denied.  Refused.  Forsaken.  Returned.  Rejected.  It's the part of life that's not fun to write about but it is reality.  At one time or another we've all felt these very real emotions.  We've all been Uninvited.

For many of us it's hard to "live loved" which is why so many have picked up this book since its release.  Who wants to be lonely?  Who wants to carry around the baggage of past rejections?  No one!  We all want to be free of burdens to live our best life.

In Uninvited Lysa TerKeurst attempts to help lead us to this place of "living loved" while also sharing personal stories about her own journey.  When I first began to read this book I was hopeful.  I have had several major rejections in my life all too recently and was hoping to finally be rid of pain that these rejections have caused.  I can't quite say that I found resolution but Lysa did a decent job of reminding me where I need to go to work through these rejections: Jesus.

My biggest issue with this book is the Bible verses that are taken out of context.  After perusing the reviews on both Amazon and GoodReads I found that I was not alone in this concern.  (Check out Callie's review on GoodReads.  It mirrors my views exactly)  The author was also very repetitive, and several times I felt like I was having deja vu.  I did enjoy her personal stories and wish she would've delved more into her memoir instead of continuously trying to tie in rejection to places that it didn't really belong.

From a writing standpoint, I enjoy her style.  This is my first TerKeurst book and I did enjoy it for the most part but when it came to teaching about overcoming rejection I feel it missed the mark.  I did highlight a few quotes that did speak to me but by the time I made it to the bonus chapter I couldn't read anymore and I had to put it down, admitting defeat.

I did eventually skim through the rest of the book and noticed in the acknowledgements that she thanked her church, Elevation Church.  The pastor of Elevation Church is Steven Furtick.  I reviewed one of Furtick's books in March 2017 and was also not impressed with his book for similar reasons.  I'm not saying there's any correlation, I just found it odd that the same issues I have with Uninvited I also had with The Seven-Mile Miracle.

If you do decide to read this book I will caution you to read it prayerfully, with discernment, and do your own research on the verses provided.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange in an honest, unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.

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The Mayflower Bride

"She'd shed enough tears to create a river the past few weeks, and she'd finally told the Lord that enough was enough.  The only way she could make it through was with His help.  Her new recitation became I can do this." 

Mary Elizabeth is wary of the future.  Standing on the deck of the ship Speedway in 1620, she reminisces about her life in Holland and is worried about her trip to the New World.  Holland wasn't home but it was where her mother had taken her final breath, and having to leave her behind is gut wrenching for Mary Elizabeth, her little brother David, and their father.  They are hoping the New World will also mean a new and better life away from persecution.  A new beginning.

 Mary Elizabeth and her family are members of the Separatists, a religious sect who had chosen to break away from the Church of England, in pursuit of spiritual freedom.  This choice has made them detestable in their land and so they fled to Holland to break free from religious persecution.  Now a number of their congregation are headed to the New World to help start a new settlement where they can freely worship and live for the Lord.

William is also ready for a fresh start.  He is an orphan who has had a hard knock life thus far, being kicked out of his foster home at the tender age of nine, and was on the streets barely able to survive.  This is until a kind-hearted gentleman took him in and taught him the trade of carpentry.  He is on the Mayflower, the ship that is to sail alongside the Speedway, loaded with supplies for the New World.

The Mayflower Bride tells this harrowing story of the trip across the Atlantic through the eyes of Mary Elizabeth, William, and several other inhabitants aboard the Mayflower.  Your hopes rise and fall with the characters, who deal with a ship that almost sinks, bouts of seasickness and scurvy, and such severe illness that it brings with it death.  Intermingled with the sadness there is also the beautiful story of love, friendship, finding inner strength, and living by faith and faith alone. 

This is the first book in The Daughters of the Mayflower series and I believe it to be an incredible beginning.  What I really enjoyed the most was the Note to the Reader at the end of the book where the author explains in greater detail the genealogy of several of the characters that were actually on the Mayflower and connecting them to famous figures that we all know and love today!  Ms. Woodhouse was even able to trace her own lineage to Virginia in 1659!

There are a few historical inaccuracies which the author does explain both at the beginning and ending of the book, but in my opinion they do not hurt the integrity of the actual story of the Separatists or the circumstances of the Mayflower voyage whatsoever.  I highly recommend this book for those that love history and appreciate the plight the early settlers had to endure to create the freedom we have today.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.

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