Enemies of the Heart - Slow Start, Good Finish

Although it took a bit to get to the point, Andy Stanley is on point with this book. The negative thoughts and emotions we think are buried deep inside are really right on the surface controlling our lives.

Great for group study or personal study, Stanley's book takes you to the heart of these emotions using Scripture and his own experiences to lead you on a journey to a changed life. He teaches you how to confront the enemies of your heart, pointing out things I'm pretty sure we know, but haven't quite been ready to face.

If you aren't ready to really committ to changing your life, this book isn't for you. Stanley has a lot of thought-provoking questions for you, not just in the discussion section at the back if the book, but throughout the book. These questions are meant for you to see clearly how the four enemies (guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy) have kept you in bondage and have kept your relationships broken. From reading this book, you will see just how much you are responsible for the current situation of your life and what steps you can take to change your life for the better.

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

New Favorite Book - Moloka'i

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was chosen by my book club and I’m so very glad it was.  I don’t know if I ever would’ve come across it otherwise and it quickly became one of my favorite books.

When I began reading, I was immediately pulled in because of Brennert’s writing style and because of the main character, Rachel.  Brennert has a rich way of weaving his words into a great attention-keeping story and I couldn’t put the book down.  As for Rachel, she's just sweet and adorable!  If I remember correctly, she was seven years old when the book began.  I really enjoyed how as a reader, I got to watch her grow up.  Throughout the novel, I was always rooting for Rachel’s escape from the island of Moloka'i.  Does she ever get away?  Well, I’d spoil the story if I told you so you’ll just have to read it for yourself.

Hmmm… let me back up… if you aren’t familiar with Moloka’i, it’s a Hawaiian island that was used as a quarantine colony for those with Hansen’s disease (leprosy).  Rachel is exiled to Kalaupapa, the leprosy containment community on the island of Moloka’i and the book follows her journey.  Filled with a rich historical background, Rachel lives on Moloka’i through a period of great change.  From Hawaii being absorbed by the United States, the cure of Hansen’s Disease, the beginning of aviation and automobiles, the book is filled with actual historical facts that bring not just the characters, but the island itself to life.

Unlike most novels I read, I was quite fond of many of the characters.  Rachel, of course.   Then there is Sister Catherine, a nun who lived on the island and took care of the female children.  She was a woman with such strength and compassion, yet she was full of fears and doubts which endeared her to me.  She was such a real and down to earth character.  Haleola, also a Hansen’s patient, took a sort of mother-role over Rachel.  In a large way, she made up for Rachel being taken away from her mother and showed Rachel nothing less than pure love and devotion.  Even Rachel's papa who never left or forgot her.  A sailor on a steamer boat, he never stopped sending her things from the various countries he traveled to and visited her whenever he could.  Dr. Goodhue was another person I was fond of.  He was a really good doctor with a genuine care for the people of Moloka'i.  Even the Territorial Governor (a real person), Lawrence Judd, was someone I was fond of as he was true to his words to reform Kalaupapa.

Before reading this book, I had no knowledge of Moloka'i and the separate island community where people were exiled to.  It was such an ignorant way for the people with Hansen’s to be treated (pun may or may not be intended!).  Families were literally torn apart, the reputation of the family completely destroyed.  However, through the turmoil and loss, much was also gained.  The people living on the island welcomed newcomers and one another with open arms.  Instead of being sent there to await their deaths, together they triumphed, forming new families and new lives.

A very touching novel, this book let us into the lives of the people of Moloka'i and when it ended, I was sad.  It was like saying goodbye to good friends.  Highly, highly recommended.


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I Am Grad-Gee-Ated!!!

It has been a busy time for me since my last post.  I had my final finals and then graduation and friends' graduations and today is my first "day off" since then.  A day off for me is one that I'm not expected to be anywhere and one that I don't have errands to run.  It's my lazy day.

Even though I had my last semester to finish up (that included the dreaded chemistry class), I still managed to read a bunch of books.  Read, yes.  Write a review, No.  I'm hoping to get reviews written for the following books soon:

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.  Loved it.

The Queen of Last Hopes by Susan Higginbotham.  Loved it.

A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman.  Enjoyed it.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.  Enjoyed it.

Mistress of the Vatican: The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope by Eleanor Herman.  Enjoyed it.

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert.  Loved, loved, loved it!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  Enjoyed it.

Have you read any of these books?  If so, what did you think of them?

The Wild Side of Jesus

Untamed: How the Wild Side of Jesus Frees Us to Live and Love with Abandon by Lisa Harper


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Through reading the book Untamed, I have become a fan of the author, Lisa Harper. Her humor is very refreshing and makes such an enjoyable read! I found myself relating to her in so many ways as my relationship with Jesus grew stronger.

In the first two pages of the book, Harper writes, "Choosing the safe but boring path is an apt metaphor for the years I spent rather numbly and halfheartedly pursuing God." This is definitely how I've become over the years (safe and boring) as I've tried to prevent chaos and pain from entering into my life. However, chaos and pain have still managed to wiggle their way into my life and my relationship with Jesus has been lukewarm. Harper invites you to "reawaken the sense of adventure God hard-wired into your soul" and Untamed surely does that!

Now, Harper has a very sharp sense of humor that some might find offensive or sacrilegious. She talks about paralytics who turn cartwheels, how Tamar's first husband and Onan were stinkers so God killed them, and she calls John the Baptist "Johnny B." I had reached a point that I thought, okay, this might be too much, but then changed my mind when two pages later I was laughing out loud at the vision of John the Baptist "with locust legs stuck between his teeth." Harper was talking about the type of people Jesus hung out with, and right after the locust legs comment, she writes a profound piece that makes your heart swell over the Jesus who loves us:
"But Jesus is the friend who lovingly sticks by every repentant sinner's side through thick and thin. Even when we blow it or get distracted by other interests, He doesn's stop loving us. In fact, Jesus' unwavering commitment to us is what ultimately compelled Him to lay down His life in exchange for ours. His devotion to broken people like us is remarkable."

Throughout the book, Harper shares her personal experiences (that I'm sure many of us can relate to) and connects them to biblical stories, illuminating the true Jesus that loves and accepts us all. The end of each chapter also has questions to help the reader dig deeper, not just within themselves but through God's Word.

I highly recommend this book and am grateful to have received it free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my review.

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Miss Penelope Carter

According to blogthings.com, my Jane Austin inspired name is Miss Penelope Carter.  I'm just wondering how the website knew I was single...

Find your Jane Austen inspired name by visiting blogthings.com!  (and please do share with me!)

Tags: mindless activities

Love Walked In

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I finished reading Love Walked In a few days ago. The Goodreads.com description of the book is as follows:

“When Martin Grace enters the hip Philadelphia coffee shop Cornelia Brown manages, her life changes forever. But little does she know that her newfound love is only the harbinger of greater changes to come. Meanwhile, across town, Clare Hobbs--eleven years old and abandoned by her erratic mother--goes looking for her lost father. She crosses paths with Cornelia while meeting with him at the café, and the two women form an improbable friendship that carries them through the unpredictable currents of love and life.”

I have to say that at first, I didn't care for Cornelia (one of the main characters) and her inside thinking drove me nuts. Everything she thought related to a classic movie, story, or celebrity and it was hard to follow in the beginning (and at some other times throughout the novel). However, I loved Clare right away and that is what hooked me on the book. Eventually, I grew to like Cornelia, as well, and found the book delightful, humorous, and charming.

I really began to enjoy the writing style of the author a couple of chapters in even though I wasn’t so sure when I began the book. Describing the conversation between them during their first date, Cornelia’s thought: "Maybe love comes in at the eyes, but not nearly as much as it comes in the ears, at least in my experience. As we talked, lights flicked on inside my head; by the end of the night, I was a planetarium." A planetarium was just such a clever way to describe those new love feelings we get.

When Cornelia was having an attack of wishing she looked different: “Martin did something that pushed all of those thoughts not out of, but certainly to the back of, my mind, to a shadowed little corner where their own mothers wouldn't recognize them."

Cornelia describes her whining as "tinted with a vaguely Cornelia-like color” which I found humorous. The author made it a pleasant and delightful trip through the head of Cornelia with descriptions like these and I just enjoyed how things were phrased or described in the writing.

Clare was my favorite character. What a brave and bright little girl! Your heart goes out to her as her mother starts acting strange and you can’t quite figure out what’s going on. Her father is not in the picture, not even when she reaches out to him for help, and here this little girl just takes over her household and keeping things perfect so no one would know. As someone who mentors foster children, I found the thoughts in Clare’s head to be very realistic and believable. Even when her mother abandons her, she still has that intense love for her mother that makes her do courageous things to not only survive, but to protect her mother.

Being inside of Clare’s head was also delightful and refreshing. She was so sweet that you just wanted to know her and give her a big hug! There are two paragraphs I won't type that describe little Clare's thinking about seeing love. Okay, maybe just one quote, "Love was mixed up in all of it, like gold in a pan of sand." The way this child is viewing love for the first time is just beautiful and natural and I loved it!

I also loved the character, Mateo, who was the lifelong friend and brother-in-law to Cornelia. He was a decent guy and so perfect with little Clare, I just loved that sweet, soft side of him. He’s described as gorgeous ("the moon was always humbled in his radiance") and shy, yet intelligent and sensitive. He is the rock that both Cornelia and Clare could stand on. I did, however, question his judgment towards the end (I won't spoil it) which marred him just a tad for me.

Martin, the new love of Cornelia, was a spineless loser. I pretty much thought that about him throughout the novel, even in the beginning when she was so twitterpated with him and only describing the sunshiny happy moments. He had no depth and it was not from the author’s lack in writing; that was who he was, unfortunately.

You meet Cornelia's family and learn about the special relationship she had with a neighbor, Mrs. Goldberg. I loved Cornelia’s family and the relationship she had with Mrs. Goldberg, and I loved the little town they lived in and the childhood memories. This book really grew on me, so if you had a tough time in the beginning, hang in there because it gets way better.

There were definitely some twists you wouldn't have imagined in the beginning, but they turned out nicely. Nothing too overdone and all pretty believable, pretty realistic.

Lastly, this book really challenged my own writing in the way the author used words. I had to pull out my dictionary several times, not because the word was too complex, but because she used words in ways I never thought of. "Big words" as some would say, but not used in a way that the writer wanted you to know how smart she was. Big words used in an imaginative and creative way that got you seeing the world differently, got you seeing the character (mostly Cornelia) differently. The writing really flowed.

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Tags: Fiction

Someone Please Awaken Me

Lazarus Awakening: Finding Your Place in the Heart of God by Joanna Weaver

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was so looking forward to reading this book. I think the message, "Finding Your Place in the Heart of God" is an important one and one that I certainly need to read more on, but it isn't what I got from reading it. Not long after I began, I was bored to tears and totally confused.

The book and its stories were choppy and metaphors seemed forced. There was no flow and after having read it, I honestly cannot even tell you what the book was about. Weaver used so many personal viewpoints throughout the book that I just became annoyed. "Maybe they thought..." "Perhaps she said..." "He could have done..." "She possibly was feeling..."

I became somewhat disturbed and literally groaned out loud when I read her description of how fortunate she was that her son didn't play mental games with her like greeting her with a cold shoulder when she goes away (as "most kids" do). She writes, "Instead of sulking, he's the first one to meet me at the door" and "He doesn't wait until I reach out to him. He leaps towards me." That was a slap in the face to any mother who wasn't greeted by her child at some point. I'm quite sure she isn't the perfect mother that all her stories in the book make it seem.

Lastly, Weaver depicted the betrayal of Judas as Judas "hoping to force the Son of God to do his bidding and declare Himself king." Say what? All four Gospels describe Judas betraying Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

At this point, I truly had to force myself to continue reading. After all, I did receive this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my review. I feel bad about not liking the book and posting an unpleasant review so I will add some positive notes about this book:

1. I did like the "Dethroning Lies" piece that discusses employing four principles to assist the Holy Spirit in ridding you of harmful and untrue strongholds. Those principles are asking God to Reveal the stronghold, Repenting to Him for seeking comfort in them, Renouncing the hold they have on you, and Replacing these beliefs with Scriptures.

2. I liked the sections "Disciplining Your Mind" and Appendix D "Who I Am in Christ" in which she affirms cognitive psychology with Scriptures, helping us to understand that we are accepted, secure, significant, and loved by Jesus.

I have never read any of Weaver's books before this and can assume from this that she isn't my cup of tea. However, if you enjoyed her first two books, I'm sure you would enjoy this one, as well, as it is the last of the trilogy.


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Tags: Christian Non-fiction