Consider the Blessings -- True Accounts of God's Hands in Our Lives

Today's review is written by a guest reviewer: my dear friend, Kel.

Are prophets really people? I know that they are real, and human, and have families and no doubt brush their teeth each day. Maybe they even have the occasional craving for peanut butter, and hearing a certain song shoots them from the middle of their sixth – or eighth -- decade back to being eighteen and enormously full of enthusiasm. I know all that. But are prophets real people? The kind of people who second guess themselves, who deliberately and stubbornly try to do what they have been instructed, prompted, taught?

I’ve wondered all of that for years now. Wondered for fifteen years, actually, since I converted and watched President Hinckley as my first ever I-know-it-in-my-heart-and-bones prophet, speaking in General Conference to me, to the Church. Is everything crystal clear for God’s anointed, I wondered? Is being generous, charitable, kind and loving as easy to them as breathing?

I found my answer in Consider the Blessings – True Accounts of God’s Hand in Our Lives by President Thomas S. Monson. A talented, engaging public speaker, President Monson also communicates beautifully in this book. Each section is a different vignette, deftly bringing to life a moment from his personal or church life to gently demonstrate lessons about service, love, following promptings, being God’s hands here on earth, and – always - being a disciple of Christ.

I was a little concerned when I read the blurb that this would be so sweetly pious it would make my teeth hurt (and my spirit grow dejected in comparison), but I really should have known better. What I have learned, and come to more fully appreciate, is that President Monson really is a person. A person who has lived every day of his life – like me – and has the opportunity every day – like me! – to consider what to do and say to those around him. He has chosen to be a disciple of Christ, and Consider the Blessings shares how that decision has been made manifest in his life. It is in the ‘ordinary details’ of President Monson’s stories that we are shown that God is in the smallest details of our lives, and how He waits for us to be His hands for others, while caring for us in exactly the same way.

President Monson writes with clarity, humility and humour, gently encouraging readers to live more deliberately, in tiny little seemingly insignificant ways to serve others and the Lord. In reading Consider the Blessings I have realised that I have the opportunity and the responsibility to approach my daily activities as a disciple of Christ. President Monson (and no doubt other prophets in the past) lives life one second at a time, one person in conversation, one letter and one prayer at a time, and recognises the power in those moments. Consider the Blessings has made me recognise the power I have in my everyday ordinariness (peanut butter cravings and all) to choose to see God’s hands, God’s blessings in my life, and be those same hands for those around me in whatever way I can.

Rating: A beautiful dose of Vitamin Encouragement – Highly Recommended.

Title: Consider the Blessings – True Accounts of God’s Hand in Our Lives

Author: President Thomas S Monson

Publisher: Deseret Book

Note: I won an e-copy of this book and read it from my phone. Consider the Blessings is a gem to have on your phone – each segment is a quick read wherever you may be and a lovely boost to mood and intentions. That being said, and after seeing the layout and details of the print version, I will definitely be buying a physical copy as well.

Written on Our Hearts by Emily Freeman

Emily Freeman's book, Written on Our Hearts, is a beautiful compilation of "invitations from the Old Testament." Using a combination of personal story and personal reflection on scriptural stories, Freeman invites the reader to engage the Old Testament and apply its powerful messages to daily life.

Freeman folds messages from the Old Testament into experiences with rather ordinary life events and activities like lacrosse games and gardening and hiking. She also shares tender and unique experiences, such as the time they took in a young man who had been evicted from his home. The reader gets to hear thoughts on both familiar stories and characters in the Old Testament, as well as consider some lesser-known stories.

Although I love me an intensive doctrinal book, I also appreciate books like this one. Because the chapters are short, it's the kind of book that you can pick up and read for just a few minutes and be uplifted.

In her introduction, Freeman writes:

"People often ask me why I love the Old Testament so fiercely. I always respond with the same answer. There will come a moment in your life when you are someone you love will struggle with  challenge so great you will wonder how you will make it through....The stories and lessons of the Old Testament have carried me through some of the greatest challenges of my life. In those moments, much-needed verses of scripture have been written on my heart. When I need deeper courage, unyielding strength, and increased wisdom to face that situation at hand, I turn to the pages of the Old Testament. It is within those pages that I have come to know Jehovah, the Deliverer -- Jesus Christ -- in a way I might not have before."

I, too, am moved by considering ancient stories about our Deliverer, and I appreciate the spirit with which Freeman has written this book. I feel it invites the reader to feast more deliberately on the words in the Old Testament, and to find what messages of hope and mercy that the Lord would have us feel in our own lives.

About the author: Emily Freeman is an author, songwriter, and motivational speaker. Her writing reflects a deep love of the scriptures and a strong desire to find their application in modern-day life. Emily and her husband, Greg, are the parents of four children and live in Lehi, Utah.

Review: Longing for Home by Sarah M. Eden

Note from the momma: I'm excited to share this review by my friend, Lisa. She won a giveaway for Sarah M. Eden's book, Longing for Home. The deal was that she also got to write a review. :) Without further adieu, here it is! Thanks, Lisa. And thanks to Deseret Book for the giveaway copy.

Longing for Home by Sarah Eden

“Eighteen years had passed since Katie Macauley killed her sister”  thus begins the latest from author Sarah Eden.

Set in Wyoming territory in 1870, the story of Katie Macauley is a tragic, touching and romantic one.
Racked with guilt over her role in her sister’s death two decades earlier, Katie is still searching for a way to make amends and return home to her family in Ireland. She has come to Hope Springs, Wyoming to serve as a housekeeper for the town’s wealthiest man, Joseph Archer, to achieve this goal.

Upon her arrival in Hope Springs, accompanied by Tavish and Ian O’Connor, Katie is promptly fired by Joseph Archer. His explanation, because she is Irish. She manages to convince him to allow her to keep her job until a replacement can be found, to which he acquiesces, and then the troubles really begin.

Hope Springs is a battleground, currently in an uneasy truce,  between the Irish and the non-Irish settlers. Joseph has elected to stay out of the fray, and having Katie as a housekeeper upsets the balance of things and his ability to continue to stay out of the conflict. At some point, his ability to remain neutral will no longer exist.

I was touched by Katie’s resilience and willingness to work hard and stick to her guns. She was “sold into service” at the age of eight and has spent her life working for others with the goal of being able to go back home someday.

The Irish community of Hope Springs adopts her and you slowly see her starting to come out of the shell she has built to protect herself.  I was heart-broken over and over again to think of the challenges this young girl faced and the resilience it took to for her to survive. I was happy to see the friendship between Katie and the Irish women blossom and her confidence increasing, realizing her contributions mattered and that people cared about her, not just what she could do for them.

Tavish O’Connor is a young Irishman who’s fiancé was killed in the same epidemic that took Joseph Archer’s wife. He looks out for Katie and in several cases, keeps her from being harassed or harmed by the non-Irish settlers. He is charming and funny and can make her smile. He has a wonderful family and she is welcomed as one of their own. As a romance begins to blossom between Katie and Tavish, the Irish folk see it as a foregone conclusion that they will marry.

Joseph Archer, a young widower with two young daughters, is in a tough spot. As his attraction to Katie grows and her feelings for him and his daughters soften, he is put in the position of being her employer & protector while she is living in his home, which limits his ability to court her.

He is also faced with the growing aggression of the town’s people against the Irish and his position and influence may not be enough to keep the town from exploding into violence again.

The romance between Katie and Joseph is subtle…a look here, a shared moment there, but you wonder if circumstances allowed, would it not be more? Or will Tavish win her hand before Joseph even has an opportunity to vie for it?

In the midst of the turmoil in Katie’s heart and in the town, she is faced with the decision of whether or not to return home to Ireland and her family…hoping for some type of absolution and peace from those who abandoned her, or to stay in Wyoming where she may have found the home she has always been longing for with a man who loves her.

I am a fan of  Ms. Eden’s and have read all of her novels. I loved this book, I think it is actually my favorite of hers, for several reasons:

- It was an “American” story.  I love the “regency” romance books and stories of society in England, but this one resonated with me more because I am descended from people like Katie and I could really relate to her story. I have heard the stories of the difficult life in the early American West…the struggle to survive throughout the harshest of winters and brutal summers, the horrible epidemics that killed entire families and the resilience and determination of the settlers to not only survive, but to thrive.

- The conflicts in this story were more “real” to me. As a history student, and the wife of an Irish descendent, I’m ashamed to say I really had no idea of the struggles and prejudice against the Irish who came to America after the famine. I was angered by so many of the things that the non-Irish did to the Irish and I am inspired to learn a little more about the history of the Irish Conflicts in America. I was again inspired by the Irish’ determination to stay and to prosper in the midst of persecution and discrimination.

Katie herself, this character had been through so much in her life and her ability to open her heart to love, touched me. Her happiness truly mattered to me.

I highly recommend this book to fans of Ms. Eden’s and those of you who may not have  read one of her books. It is a wonderful, touching, and to me, thought provoking, story.

I can’t wait for the sequel in Spring 2014!

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About Sarah M. Eden

Sarah M. Eden is the author of multiple historical romances, including Whitney Award finalistsSeeking Persephone (2008, Covenant Communications) and Courting Miss Lancaster(2010, Covenant Communications). Combining her obsession with history and affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances. She holds a Bachelor's degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library. Sarah has twice served as the Master of Ceremonies for the LDStorymakers Writers Conference, acted as the Writer in Residence at the Northwest Writers Retreat and is one-third of the team at the AppendixPodcast.com. Sarah is represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg at Foreword Literary Agency.

Stay updated about Sarah Eden's work by liking her Facebook page and following her blog.

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Giveaway! Consider the Blessings (compilation of 50 true accounts shared by President Monson)

Speaking of books, I get to do another LDS book giveaway, just in time for General Conference. Here's the description: " Consider the Blessings presents fifty of the true accounts President Thomas S. Monson has shared over the past fifty years. With beautiful photographs and heart-touching content, this is a book to treasure with the whole family." 

To enter the giveaway, share a favorite story or teaching from or about or related to President Monson -- either one he has shared himself or one you have heard shared about him. 

The one catch for this giveaway is that the winner gets to write a review to be posted here! :) So with your entry, please pick a date in October for posting a review. This allows me to get information DB requires to mail out a book to the winner. Also, if you haven't yet liked Deseret Book on Facebook, you'll want to do that, too.

Here's my contribution to the conversation. Following are two posts that I love about President Monson and his ministering love and the difference it has made in individual people's lives. When I hear stories like these, I imagine the Savior and how He would minister personally to those around Him. And how we each need to seek to follow the Spirit (as Stephanie did) so that we can be instruments to help others, to be on His errand.

http://mormonwoman.org/2010/06/29/meeting-the-prophet-on-the-roadside-in-gila-valley/

http://diapersanddivinity.com/2013/09/04/in-which-president-monson-turned-my-stressful-week-around/

Face to Face by S. Michael Wilcox

I officially have a new favorite book that I want to share from the rooftops with every faith-seeking person I know.

I was so grateful when Deseret book gave me the opportunity to read S. Michael Wilcox's latest book, Face to Face: Seeking a Personal Relationship with God. If you are not familiar with Brother Wilcox and his powerful way of highlighting life-changing truths out of the scriptures, take a few minutes before you read this review to listen to his talk The Fourth Watch (scroll down to the end of the post to watch the video), or to read this devotional he gave at BYU-Hawaii.



Brother Wilcox was one of my Book of Mormon professors back in the day. His class and the one I took from Susan Easton Black played important roles in the process of really gaining my firm testimony of the Book of Mormon. So I feel a special, personal connection with Brother Wilcox -- even though I realize I am only one of the thousands of people who have been so influenced by him.

I have long had a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. I have known that God is aware of me; I have felt Him guide my life, particularly at major crossroads times of decision.

But it's only in the last few years that I've come to realize how much I still have yet to know and understand about my Heavenly Father and His very personal love for me. This book helped deepen both my testimony of God's love, and my desire to reach out more to build a relationship with Him and trust in Him more in my life.

As is Brother Wilcox's style, he uses a masterful combination of scriptural insight and personal experience to discuss ways we can not just pray, but reach in our communication with Heavenly Father. He discusses reaching through pouring out, reaching through wrestling, reaching through believing, reaching through acting, and reaching through knocking. The principles in each chapter weave and fold into each other, but I think (at least on my first reading), the first chapter is my favorite. I wept as I read and felt the power of his insights and testimony.

The following quote has stayed with me. As someone who spent a lot of time holding back in my prayers, I find this notion of pouring out (something, again, I've only started to understand in the last few years) is extremely profound.

Brother Wilcox uses the poignant example of Hannah in the scriptures, “who poured out her soul out of the abundance of her complaint and grief.”

“The soul can be described as a vessel that fills from time to time with various emotions, thoughts, memories, questions, and so forth. The very phrase pour out suggests this visual image. I have found it useful to see my soul as a vessel; I often ask myself what it contains before I kneel before the Lord. There is a difference to my approach when I say “I’m going to pour out my soul to God” rather than “I’m going to say my prayers.” The very phrase suggests there will be no holding back…. It is helpful to me to understand or recognize exactly what is in my soul. I must be totally honest with myself. Is it confusion, or doubt, or sorrow, or love, or gratitude, or guilt, or shame, or worry? I believe what the Father wants from us is the contents of our souls. I sense that unless we pour out, he cannot pour in. We want to make sure we empty everything to make room for what he will give us in return” (p. 19).

I'm reminded of President Eyring's talk about the pavilions that can sometimes keep us from feeling God's love for and awareness of us. Brother Wilcox shares his own personal experiences with doubt, grief (he lost his wife to cancer a couple of years ago), inadequacy, fear...the emotions that most mortals will struggle with at some point or another. This book feels like a sort of pouring out, a vulnerable, powerful testimony of what can happen when we are vulnerable with our Father.

This book is a treasure. I cannot recommend it enough.

Longing for Home by Sarah Eden

I am a day late on getting my post up, and it won't be a review...but a review is forthcoming! A lucky giveaway winner is going to do a review of the book for our blog. She's a huge Sarah Eden fan, so I'm excited to hear what she has to say about Longing for Home.

Longing for Home is a book in a new brand of books by Shadow Moutain called Proper Romance. 

"This new brand of “proper” romance allows readers to enjoy romance at its very best—and at its cleanest—portraying everything they love about a passionate, romantic novel, without busting corsets or bed scenes."

I'm not a huge romance novel fan myself, but I'm thrilled that there is a proactive effort to provide clean novels for those who do love them. And given what I've heard from fans of Sarah Eden, Longing for Home should be on the want list of romance readers. There will be a Book 2 as well, coming in Spring of 2014.

Here's a description of the novel:

Though she was only a child during the darkest days of Ireland s Great Famine, Katie Macauley feels responsible for the loss of her family s land and the death of her sister. Now a woman grown, Katie has left Ireland for America and the promise of earning money enough to return home again and plead for her family s forgiveness. She arrives in Hope Springs, Wyoming Territory, a town sharply divided between the Americans who have settled there, with their deep hatred of the Irish, and the Irish immigrants who have come searching for a place to call home. Her arrival tips the precarious balance, and the feud erupts anew. Even in the midst of hatred and violence, however, Katie finds reason to hope. Two men, as different as they are intriguing, vie for her heart, turning her thoughts for the first time toward a future away from Ireland. Katie must now make the hardest decision of her life: stay and give her heart a chance at love, or return home and give her soul the possibility of peace.

If you would like to read what others have said about Longing for Home, take a hop, skip, and a jump around the blog tour.

Here are a few highlights of what people have said:

Stephanie at Diapers and Divinity says " I really, really liked it. In fact, I think it may be my favorite of her books so far."

LDS Writer Mom, Julie Coulter Bellon writes: "I love all of Sarah's books. There is just something about her characters and style of writing that strikes a chord with me. This book was no different....This book is a definite five stars from me. Every historical fiction fan should read this book and put it on your Christmas and birthday lists. Completely loved it."

Books are Sanity says: "This story is no ordinary one; it weaves together a past of pain, a present of hard work and the unknown and a future of decisions yet to be made. If you want a book with a real story, with historical roots and about one courageous woman, then this is the book for you."

Reading the reviews makes me wish I was a romance novel reader. If any of you have read this book or others written by Sarah Eden, let us know what you think.

About the author:

Sarah M. Eden is the author of multiple historical romances, including Whitney Award finalistsSeeking Persephone (2008, Covenant Communications) and Courting Miss Lancaster(2010, Covenant Communications). Combining her obsession with history and affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances. She holds a Bachelor's degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library. Sarah has twice served as the Master of Ceremonies for the LDStorymakers Writers Conference, acted as the Writer in Residence at the Northwest Writers Retreat and is one-third of the team at the AppendixPodcast.com. Sarah is represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg at Foreword Literary Agency.

Stay updated about Sarah Eden's work by liking her Facebook page and following her blog.

Penumbras by Braden Bell

I'm thrilled to be able to write a review for Penumbras, the second in the Middle School Magic series by Braden Bell. We really enjoyed the first book, The Kindling (which I reviewed here). We love reading about the adventures and struggles of Conner, Lexa and Melanie (oh, and we can't forget Pilaf, whose adventures intensify in this book as well).

Thanks to the fact that the author let us read a draft copy of his book, I was able to do what I did with The Kindling and claim it as a read-aloud-with-Mom-only book. (It's hard to find a fantasy book my kids have not read and knowing of a book before it's published gives me an advantage!) Our recent vacation gave us time to finally finish it (it's hard to find a time when all three kiddos are in one place). We completed it just in time for the book's launch and blog tour.

We love the story and the characters and the suspense and the lessons explored in the books.

But I want to write this review (as I did the first time) more in momma mode, because I know parents often like to hear what other parents think about the entertainment available to their children.

Short answer is this: I love this series. It's definitely for older tweens/teens (lots of action, light-vs-dark moments, and some teenage crush-love stuff that likely will be too much for younger kids), but the books are well-written and both fun and meaningful.

As a mom, I always appreciate books and stories that can help give our family a springboard to talk and think about the reality of light and darkness, of good and evil, of trials and opportunities. Because we read this book aloud, it gave us a shared experience for such pondering and discussion.

It is clear to me that the author (a junior high/middle school teacher) understands and cares deeply about teenagers. In a world where often teens can be at the brunt of jokes and eye rolls, this is refreshing. In my view, the author's personal investment in youth comes out strongly in his writing.

I also was grateful for some teaching moments that the author capitalized on. In fact, as I was mulling over what to write for this review, the example I wanted to share was one that my starting-the-eighth-grade daughter brought up on her own as something that stuck with her.

Dr. Timberi gives some sage advice about teenage romances to one of his students that any mother would, I think, be thrilled to read aloud with her teens:

"Now, please accept a bit of advice from someone who has watched dozens and dozens of adolescent relationships pop like bubbles and ruin friendships....Teenage romances are notoriously unstable. Protect your friendship with prudence. Be friends. Good friends. Affectionate friends. But leave it at that. If love is real, it will grow along with you until you are both mature enough for a durable relationship that will shelter and feed it.

"[She] nodded. Super embarrassing to hear that from a teacher, but she saw the wisdom of Dr. Timberi's words."

I've always been grateful for other adults in my children's lives who care enough to share important, direct advice born of experience and concern. I love how the author weaves this advice into the plot -- far enough into the series that it doesn't come across as preaching, but clear enough that the message cannot be missed.

(I like how on his blog, too, he takes time to share some thoughts and advice for youth and their parents in a feature called Middle School Mondays.)

Just as with the first book, there were moments in this book where I struggled to read out loud because I got choked up. He hits on some topics and truths that really moved me; the lessons and topics explored in these books definitely extend beyond a teen's world. And just as with the first book, we had a hard time putting it down.

I think this book is, as another reviewer said, Braden Bell's best book yet. We highly recommend this series. (And we anxiously look forward to Book Three!)

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About Braden Bell, author of the Middle School Magic series:

Braden Bell earned  a Ph.D. in educational theatre from New York University. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in theatre arts and child drama from Brigham Young University. He and his family live on a quiet, wooded lot in Tennessee, where he teaches theatre and music at a private middle school--the world described in The Kindling and Penumbras(whether his evenings and weekends are spent fighting evil is something he cannot disclose). An experienced performer, Braden enjoys singing, acting, reading, gardening, and long walks with the dog.

Braden enjoys interacting with readers on his blog or Facebook page. He's available for schools assemblies, classroom visits, and book clubs in person or via Skype. You can contact him by leaving a message here.

Penumbras Website (trailers, photos, sample chapters): http://www. bradenbell.com / penumbras.html
Author Facebook:  https://www. facebook.com/pages/Braden- Bell-author/107471269272359? ref = hl
Author Twitter: @ bradenbellcom
Author Blog:  http://www.bradenbell. com / bradens-blog.html