Book Review: Different

Hi, everyone! Today I'm reviewing a great book called Different.

Although I love to read, there aren't many books that leave me feeling the way this book did. After I finished the very last page, I wished there was more. I felt encouraged and empowered.

As some of you may know faith does not always come easily to me. I've always had a lot of questions about a lot of things, including faith. Part of that is because I have something called Aspergers, which means I'm basically high-functioning autistic. I've never felt degraded by Aspergers, but that doesn't mean it's easy being an Aspie. I deal with things like being socially awkward and having sensory processing issues, and I also have a hard time understanding faith. I tend to feel disconnected during worship, and sermons can be difficult for me to wrap my mind around.

But this book has helped me with some of that.

Different is written by Sally and Nathan Clarkson. Nathan has OCD and a few other diagnoses that make him, well, different. He sees the world in his own unique way - which sometimes makes him misunderstood by others. However, through all the highs and lows, he and his mom have believed that his differences are all a part of what could build him up.

What I like most about Different:

1.  It's easy to read. There's no 'Christianese' (I've never been able to understand those types of phrases) or long chapters. Each chapter is divided into a section written by Nathan and a section written by Sally. It's a super quick read (so quick it left me wishing there was more).

2. It's not about how to "fix" a person who is "different." It doesn't talk about all the things that are wrong about OCD or ADD or ADHD. Rather, this books is a compilation of personal stories (and pencil sketches drawn by Nathan) that share what it's like to be different and how Nathan and Sally have grown closer to God because of it.

3. This book does not condone hiding behind a diagnosis. It's not about making excuses for mistakes you've made or the way you live your life just because you have a "problem." Nathan and Sally encourage you to believe in your (or your child's) potential. They have a calling to be a hero in their own way.

I am beyond elated that I came across this book. Different has not only inspired me in ways I'd never felt before - it has also taught me that being different is 

If you or your child is out-of-the-box, and you want to be encouraged and uplifted, read this book! You won't regret it! No matter how different you are, you can still dare to make your story a great one.

(I received this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.)

Book Review: Can I Really Know Jesus?

Happy Fall, everyone! Today I am reviewing a book called "Can I Really Know Jesus?" This book is full of questions and answers (101, to be exact) regarding a relationship with Jesus.

I jumped at the chance to review this book because faith does not always come easily to me, and I am naturally curious about a lot of things, especially regarding faith. I'm the kind of person who has a lot of questions about a lot of things, and this book helped to answer quite a few of my faith-related questions. One thing that really stood out to me is that the authoress does not answer questions through pure speculation. Each answer is based on Scripture and history.

The book features whimsical artwork which subtly decorates each page, and the text is easy to read. No flowery language or hard-to-understand theological wording. The book is divided into three topics - Jesus, Salvation and Prayer - and answers questions related to those topics. Each page ends in a Bible verse relating to each question and answer. Questions range from "Is Christmas Day really Jesus' birthday?" to "Is Jesus mentioned in the Old Testament?" to "How can I be sure I'm saved?"

It was a quick read - very short pages that left me feeling like I could read another...and another...and another. In no time at all, I had read the book from cover to cover. It's a book that can be flipped through to find an answer to a certain question, but it's so full of information that it can be read page-by-page in order.

All in all, "Can I Really Know Jesus?" is a great read for Christians who are curious and searching for answers, and I can see it being a great book for new believers. If you're looking for a book to strengthen your faith, this book is for you!

(I received this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.)

Book Review: Brave Enough

Hi, all! Today I am reviewing a book by Nicole Unice, Brave Enough.

Brave Enough is a book about courage. Or, rather, having just enough courage to be yourself, to follow God and do what He asks of you. Not brave like the heroes in the movies, but brave enough.

The book reminds me of the song "Brave" by Moriah Peters, where she says "I know I'm no superwoman/But impossible is possible with You." It's all about the fact that, while we're not always brave and confident by ourselves, with God we can be a little brave and do somewhat small, yet daunting, tasks and work our way up to being just a little braver, then a little more, and a little more...

I'm not an exceptionally outgoing person, so this book was encouraging since the author doesn't have a "Become Super Brave In 10 Days Or Less" approach. It's just a simple calling to not be afraid to be a little brave. The book is full of real-life stories from the author and her friends, which she uses to emphasize certain truths about bravery and trusting God. And at the end of the book, there are pages full of Bible verses about courage. I like that verses are also spread throughout the book, and she explains how each verse can draw us closer to being brave enough.

The one "problem" I had with the book was that the chapters seemed a bit long. While a very good read, I had trouble reading an entire chapter in one sitting.

What I took away from Brave Enough is that there is no such thing as a perfect life, that I can't do everything by myself, and that bravery can be quiet and a little - just enough - bravery is sometimes all you need.

(I received this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.)

On Working at The Merch Table (and learning to use a card reader)

Hey, everybody! Can't believe June is coming to an end. I'm not too excited for the hot weather, but I'll survive. ;-) This past month has been pretty busy and crazy, in a good way, and I really want to share one particular day I had this month.

I worked at the merch table for a band in our city recently, and that was a great experience! One of the band members showed me how to work the credit card reader, shook my hand, thanked me for helping out, and left to get ready for the show. So, there I was, standing at the table, all by myself. I felt pretty awesome. A few people came by pre-show to buy CDs, and I got the hang of the card reader and counting change. After the show started, I was allowed to sit in on the show, provided I returned to the table just before intermission. It was a really cool concert, let me tell you! The band was like Piano Guys minus the piano. I ended up buying a couple of their CDs after the show, and they signed them for me. :-)

However, during intermission, I got back to the table, and I look up and all of a sudden there is a HUGE line of people in front of me. I'd memorized the "spiel," so when they asked me how much the CDs were, I'd say "Well, these 2 are $12 each, this one's $15, BUT we have a great deal - if you buy 2 CDs, it's $20; if you buy 3, it's $30." Most of the time, they raised their eyebrows in surprise and proceeded to buy 2 or 3. A pair of girls slightly older than me got to the table, picked up one of the CDs and shrieked, "Oh my goodness! Taylor Swift's on this one! We have got to get this one!" Then they glanced up at me, and I'm hiding a grin because I have no idea why they're so excited about Taylor Swift. "How much is this?" Proceed with spiel. Met with "Oh man! We can get two of them now! Which one?! Oh, this one! Yeah! It's got (name of song I've never heard before) on it! Yeah, we'll take these two!"

So, yeah, that was pretty entertaining to watch. And I upsold 'em. *mischievous laugh* ;-D I had no idea I was such a good salesgirl.

Then it got crazy. I mean crazy. I told you there was a huge line. And that I was all by myself. So here I was, sliding cards and taking cash and handing out change and shooting out the deal we had and answering questions and...Well, I was not prepared for so many people all at once. I have a new appreciation for the people at the merchandise tables at the concerts I go to.

Well, I got another volunteer to help me out, and together, we sold a bunch of CDs. It was a bit less hectic, although the card reader misbehaved quite a few times and some people had to pay cash (we did a little happy dance every time a credit card went through the first time!). After the concert, the band members sat at the table beside us to sign CDs, so that was a huge rush too. Everyone wanted to buy a CD (and 9 times out of 10, they ended up with 2 or 3). It was like a flood. It was loud. It was crazy. But we sold albums like nobody's business.

I'm really introverted, so that whole experience was pretty overwhelming for a while. I had to actually talk to hundreds of people. That was a feat in and of itself. I had to smile happily when the card reader didn't want to work, though inside I was going crazy hoping they wouldn't get upset at me. I had to count out change (we had to break a lot of bills, which was a bit annoying - I wondered how people could have such huge bills and not a single 10 or 20.) - and sometimes I counted twice since I didn't want to shortchange anyone. Thank goodness I didn't.

So, I had to overcome that whole thing. After the concert-goers had had their CDs bought and signed, I leaned over and told the other volunteer, "Hey, let's buy our CDs from each other!" So, I gave her the spiel and she bought two and I swiped her card and we laughed out loud since the card actually went through. Then she turned and gave me the spiel and I bought two and she counted out the cash and stuffed it into the bag, zipped it up. Then we went around the table, grinning from ear to ear, and the band members signed our CDs and thanked us for helping out. We shook hands, took each other's picture with them. Then they packed up their instruments, thanked us one more time, and left the venue.

And I was exhausted, let me tell you! I couldn't believe how many CDs we'd sold that night! And how many people there were! And how awesome it was that, as simple as it was, the band member taught me how to use a card reader. So, I went home a couple hours later, very happy and very tired.

But if you asked me to work the merch table at a concert, I'd do it again.

Even if the card reader misbehaved.

Textures

Don't you just love that word?  It brings up a bunch of other words, like rough, smooth, hard, soft...

For this series, I wanted to do something way out of the ordinary for myself.  I don't really take photos because of textures.  I photograph things because they look awesome, in my mind.

I went around my kitchen and living room, dodged Lego blocks on the carpet (no easy task when there are a lot of kids in the house), and got really close to the items that piqued my interest.  The ones that had a lot of texture to them.

This one had a lot of different feelings to it.  The flower bead was smooth with tiny indents; and the weaving was rough.  I liked all the colors being in the same group. 

So, that's this week's challenge, per se.  Take a bunch of photos of any textures you find, and tell me about them!

December Photo-A-Day Challenge (Week 5)

Well, I'm wrapping up December and 2013 with the last week of the photo-a-day challenge.  Happy New Year everyone!

27.  Fun

28.  Scarf

29.  Smiles With A Friend

30.  Night

31.  New Year's Eve

May God find you happily through the new year!

December Photo-A-Day Challenge (Week 4)

December is almost over (and so is 2013), so this is the second from last week for the December photo-a-day challenge. Have a merry last-of-December!

20.  Merry and Bright  (one of our Christmas decorations)

21.  Your View Right Now  (I was standing in the middle of the road while my Dad brushed off our mailbox)

22.  Red  (I love drinking coffee...unless it's black. Black coffee tastes weird.)

23.  Presents Under The Tree  (lots and lots of gifts)

24.  Favorite Holiday Tradition  (our family does the Jesse Tree every year)

25.  Morning  (the aftermath of unwrapping gifts...it's a good thing you can't see all the trash!)

26.  Bundled Up  (Baby's first time in the snow)

Happy New Year!

December Photo-A-Day Challenge (Week 3)

Happy first day of Winter everyone! Here are my third week's photos for the Capturing December challenge.  Happy Holidays!

13.  Ornaments  (An ornament I got at a swap.)

14.  Joy  (little brother all bundled up outside...He is adorable)

15.  Favorite Holiday Movie  (It's A Wonderful Life makes me think)

16.  Wreath (It has a big red ribbon, it's strung with lights and we have it right next to our door.  I love seeing our wreath when we come home at night)

17.  A Beautiful Sight  (our old, old Christmas tree)

18.  Holiday Outfit  (black boots, a flower hair band, earrings, my Mom's scarf, my favorite cowl-neck sweater, and a gray skirt. I've worn this outfit a lot!)

19.  Tree Topper  (this star, just like our tree, is old, but it's so amazing seeing it on top of our Christmas tree every Christmas)

December Photo-A-Day Challenge (Week 2)

Happy Holidays, everyone!  Here are my second week's photos for the Capturing December challenge.  I hope you enjoy!

6.  Your Favorite Meal Of The Day.  (My favorite way of using up spaghetti is melting cheese on top and calling it a casserole)

7.  Baking Cookies.  (Gingerbread men!)

8.  Stockings.  (There's so many stockings, we're running out of room on the stocking rack!)

9.  Cozy.  (My little sis and her empty cup of coffee)

10.  Wrapping Gifts / Gift Wrap.  (It's so much fun wrapping gifts and thinking about Christmas)

11.  Christmas Music.  (My favorite out of all of the CDs is Wow Christmas. )

12.  Cup Of Hot Cocoa Or Cider.  (This is a cranberry cider that my Mom tried out...she doesn't like it)

December Photo-A-Day Challenge (Week 1)

Happy December to everyone! I found a great photo-a-day challenge called "Capturing December" from Lianne and I want to share it with you memory-makers.

A photo-a-day challenge is simply a list of items you are supposed to take a photo of every day of that month. Then, you can upload the photos every week to your blog, Facebook, Instagram, or a social media website of your choice. So whether you wield an iPhone or take a gazillion photos on a dSLR, I think you're in for a fun holiday season of photography!

Here are my week's worth of photos:

1. Something You're Reading. (I'm going through old journals...I actually have ten)

2. Your Idea Of "Cheer." (watching my happy little brother eating a gingerbread house)

3. Candle. (candles are wonderful at making an inviting environment)

4. Today's Temperature. (so cold it snowed a little!)

5. Green. (well, my nutcracker does have a little green)

Have a great weekend and a happy holiday!

Wonderland

 

Ever dreamed something so hard, you felt it was going to happen someday?

Ever thought something was going to end like you expected, but didn't (and, when you think of the way you thought it would, it sounds better)?

I've been having those moments. I'm learning French so I can go on a mission trip to Haiti. 

I'm excited, but I wonder if my French won't be as fluent as it should be and I'll be at a total loss! Doubt issues, huh?

Then, another event happened (quite recently, actually) and I had to stop and think about it for a moment. When I thought about the two ways it could have happened (the way it did and the way I thought it would), I thought, "Whoa, it's a good thing God made it happen that way! My way would've been a total disaster!"

Huge disaster, nothing less! Isn't it great that we have a God Who makes things work?

And mistakes, misjudgements, and all are unavoidable. 

This morning, I had a French lesson and I forgot three words from my flash cards, left out words in more than one sentence (and occasionally added a few, too!), and struggled on some sentences.

But my teacher (who is amazing!) simply told me, "French is not an easy language, but it's a beautiful language."

She said this in English, then French...and I felt better.

Some things don't work out the way I think they should. But it's sometimes better that way!

Life isn't easy, but it's beautiful. 

Isn't that a nice thought?

LISTEN!

I dare you to stop whatever you are doing right here, right now...and listen.

Just Listen

What do you hear?  

OK, before you start hearing imaginary crickets and get terribly bored, keep reading.

Can you hear the sound of help? Of assistance? Of life?

Can you hear the sound of sound itself? Calling you to do something?

Now look.

Just Look 

Look around you. What do you see?

Can you see the sight of someone in need? 

If you are inside, are the beds needing to be made? Are the dishes needing a good washing? How about the clothes in the enormous, never-ending pile of laundry?

Now get up, stop reading, and help out.

Just Help

 

Go on! If you are reading this before you get up and start helping, you aren't going to read much in this post that will benefit you yet.

On the other hand, maybe you're thinking you shouldn't obey the blog post of a complete stranger!  ;)

So, (hopefully) you listened, looked, and helped. 

If you obeyed this blog post (written by a complete stranger)...

You deserve a thumbs-up...

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  Galatians 5:13

The Million "Second Chances"

I've done so many things in my life. I lost count of them all a long time ago. And I've done a lot of bad things, too.

I think everyone loses count of the good and bad things they've done. My mom is trying a new system for me called "grace points." I start out with three grace points every day. Every time I complain, get angry, etc, I lose a grace point, but I don't get reprimanded. But once those grace points are spent, then I get reprimanded. It's not terrible, but I have to admit...I lost a point today.

In James 1:19-21, it says, "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." (emphasis mine).

This is a huge challenge for me. I get frustrated quite easily (something I've been working on to fix), and I always feel regret when I throw all my anger on other people in the home. 
So, I decided to look in my Bible and find out what it has to say about anger. 

"In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." (Ephesians 4:26-27)

Cain was angry, Pharaoh was angry, Jacob was angry, Moses, Balaam, Samuel. The list goes on and on. Some had good reasons to be angered, others didn't.
But God is forgiving, too: "O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help." (Psalm 86:5)

And sometimes, it's good to be sad: "Sorrow is better than laughter; it may sadden your face, but it sharpens your understanding." (Ecclesiastes 7:3)

And God gives us so many second chances when we sin against Him. Though, one of these days, those chances will run out...And we won't be breathing anymore. 

Anger is sinful, but it depends on how you control it. And that is what I'm working on. I can do so much better without anger....

Everyone can.