Book Review – Doers of the Word by Archbishop Timothy Dolan

Archbishop Dolan went from the peace and quiet of Wisconsin to the hustle and bustle of New York City.

In this book, he writes very eloquently about how he has found that God is present both in the stillness of meditation and in the busy-ness of every day life.   This idea really struck a chord with me as I struggle with finding quiet time to reflect and think (and, let’s be honest, sometimes just stare at the wall and wonder about 4 year old boys) in the middle of busy days.

The book is a set of meditations written over time by Dolan as he spent time in his private chapel.  They are short and written in an easy-going, humble, yet shepherdly sort of way, and contain insight and wisdom that I found very helpful in my life as a wife and mother.  He did not write specifically to one set of people, but his thoughts are relevant to just about anyone in any stage of life and living any vocation.

Each meditation ends with a prayer and then a small “blurb” about some tradition of the Church.  These were interesting, but sometimes seemed a bit odd in relation to the meditation just finished.

I enjoyed this book; the only thing I wished for was that some of the meditations were longer so that the idea in them could be more fully developed.  As it was, in keeping them short, some of them felt like what I call “fluff” – a feel-good type of writing that just about anyone could come up with.  Thankfully, most of them held something (or were a good starting point for my own thoughts) a bit more substantial.

You can purchase this book here.

I wrote this review of Doers of the Word for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, your source for Oplatki and Advent Calendars. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.
 
Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.

I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Book Review – Little Star, by Anthony DeStefano

Recently, author Anthony DeStefano sent me a copy of his newest book, Little Star. 

When I first received it and flipped through the pages I enjoyed the story, but wasn’t sure how M would react to it.  Little Star is ignored by the other, bigger stars, and he is sad.  My tender-hearted boy is normally made very sad by things like this.  And Little Star burns so brightly on Christmas Eve night as baby Jesus is born, that he finally gets the attention of the other stars, but it’s only because they are concerned that he will burn himself out (another thing I thought M might find sad or scary).

On Christmas morning Little Star is indeed gray and almost all burned out. 

As many of you know we have had several losses this year – the death of a dog (not ours, but one M was firmly attached to and loved), the death of a great-grandma, an uncle, and a family friend – and too often this past year, death has been the topic of conversation in our home and on the mind of our sweet little boy.  I had hoped to spare him the experience of losing someone he loves for a few years, but the lesson came in a flood of losses and has been a bit more than any of us can handle well.

So, I was worried about what kind of effect this story would have on M in light of this past year, and what, at times, has been his obsession with sadness and death. 

He was very sad for Little Star when he was ignored by the other stars, and his eyes got a little teary when Little Star burned himself out.  BUT.  But, the ending of the book was beautiful and somehow it was exactly what M needed to hear, and obviously met some need for understanding within him. 

Little Star does burn out, but he is not gone.  He had such an important job to do and he did it so well, keeping baby Jesus warm with his light all night, that he will always be remembered as the most important star ever.  Giving one’s life, and light, for God and something important is never sad or meaningless, but is a wonderful thing to do, and something that is greatly rewarded.

I’m not sure exactly how M internalized this message, but it obviously struck a chord with him.  He wanted to read it “again” and “again”, something he hasn’t asked for much since he was a toddler.  Since he has been able to talk, he’s told everyone that his favorite book ever is Corduroy, by Don Freeman.  Now he says he has a new favorite – Little Star!  Coming from M, that is high praise, and definitely a recommendation of this sweet book. :)

I received a free copy of this book in return for writing a review about it.  This did not influence my opinion, and I was not obligated to write a positive review.  We honestly love this book! :)

We also loved his book, This Little Prayer of Mine:

Have a beautiful day! :)

 

Book Review – The Edge of the Divine, by Sandi Patty

In my high school years I was a fan of Sandi Patty’s music (I won’t tell you when that was, but let’s just say shoulder pads and big hair were in style), and have always appreciated the power of her voice to uplift my spirits.  So I was excited to have the opportunity to review her latest book – The Edge of the Divine: Where Possibility Meets God’s Faithfulness. 

I wasn’t sure what this book was about before I received it; I simply thought it was a sort of autobiography – what I had read on the publisher’s website was that it was written to be inspiration for women to trust God and live life on the “Edge of the Divine”.  So it was a bit of a surprise to learn that this is mainly the story of her journey to a healthier lifestyle after having lap band surgery to help her lose weight.  Regardless, I really enjoyed her insights and her conversational style of writing. 

Sandi Patty relates her story of how and why she learned to turn to food for comfort, and how she came to a point in her life where she decided to work towards a more healthy lifestyle.  Along the way she gained some wonderful insights about her relationship with God, and described with honesty the “edges” she reached in her personal life – points where she could choose to step over the edge and trust God or remain safely where she was despite being unhappy and unfulfilled.

I don’t agree with all the choices Sandi has made in her life, as told in this book, and many of the Scripture quotes using a modern and pretty casual interpretation (The Message by Eugene H. Peterson) annoyed me.  However, all in all, I really enjoyed the book, parts of which were really humorous.  I’m glad I read it and it did serve to make me more thoughtful about the relationships in my life.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers for sending me a complimentary copy of this book to review.

Book Review – Simplify Your Life

I recently read Simplify Your Life, by Woodeene Koenig-Bricker.  As you may know, I’ve been making a dedicated effort to bring more simplicity, peace, and focus into our family life – and this book came at the perfect time!  (Remember how I was going to write several posts about my efforts to simplify?  They are still up and coming, it’s just that I was thrown off a bit by the fact that apparently simplifying means spending less time on the computer.  Huh.  Who knew?)

It’s a quick read, in fact it’s marketed as part of a “30-Minute Read” series.  There are a lot of relevant quotes scattered throughout the book, and I really enjoyed reading them.  Quotes like this one:

“Our Life is frittered away by detail.  Simplify, simplify, simplify!  I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumbnail.”

                                                                             -Henry David Thoreau

Or this one:

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”

                                                                           -Hans Hoffman

This little book (only63 pages) gives sound advice on the following areas:

• Cutting down on clutter
• Simplifying relationships
• Nurturing our minds, bodies, and spirits
• Simplifying the way we live as we learn to use our resources wisely and treat our environment with more care
• How growth in gratitude will help us live more simply as we focus on our blessings and stop wasting time and energy to gain what we do not have.

Much of what I read was plain common sense, but there were new ways of viewing areas of my life that I appreciated, and I really enjoyed this book!

One more quote:

“Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities.  It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend…. When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present – love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure – the wasteland of illusion falls away, and we experience Heaven on earth.”

                                                                - Sarah Ban Breathnach

Thank you to The Catholic Company for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book to review.

Book Review – Somewhere to Belong, by Judith Miller

This story is set in the late 1870’s in the Amana Colonies in Iowa.  Having visited the Amanas Colonies several times, I was very excited to read this book!  It did not disappoint.

The story centers on two young women, Johanna and Berta.  Johanna has lived in Amana her entire life.  Her brother, upon reaching adulthood, left the Amana way of life and moved to Chicago, and this has left Johanna curious about life outside of the colonies.  Her parents are very protective, having lost one son to the outside world, and another son to an ice-skating accident that ended his life. 

The other girl, Berta, is from Chicago and used to the privileged lifestyle of her wealthy family.  She is all about fun, not rules.  Her family has moved to Amana for reasons Berta can only guess, and she struggles with the rebelliousness in herself and the many rules of community life that she encounters in Amana.

These young women are on a journey to discover themselves and although they are on much different paths, the friendship they form is a help and encouragement to them both.  There is a bit of mystery playing out in each of their families… for Johanna it has to do with the circumstances of her brother’s death and why her other brother moved away.  For Berta, the mystery surrounds her father and why the family moved to Amana in the first place.

There is also a welcome bit of romance for both girls.   But the main story is how each of them comes to an understanding of who they are, what they believe, and where they belong. 

I enjoyed this book, but felt it was geared towards teenage girls and young women who are suffering from a lack of peace within themselves… wondering what God has to do with them and what life has in store for them.  It was a quick and entertaining read, and I would recommend it to young women (16 to 21) as a wholesome alternative to many secular books.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a free copy of this book to review.

Book Review – I Wish You Enough by Bob Perks

Bob Perks has written a warm, friendly, and inspiring book in I Wish You Enough: Embracing Life’s Most Valuable Moments One Wish at a Time.
He originally wrote a poem by the same title, which became the basis for this book.  The poem speaks of wishing “enough” for those we love… “enough sun to keep your attitude bright.” And “enough rain to appreciate the sun more.”
The book is a compilation of anecdotal stories relating to the idea behind each phrase of the poem (sun/rain, happiness/pain, gain/loss, hello/goodbye).  The stories are very touching and thought-provoking.  This is a book that will give one the desire to embrace all of life – the good and the bad – as a gift from our Father in Heaven. 
The author’s words brought me to tears several times, and had me bursting with joy a few times too.  This book is a treasure you will want to share with everyone you love.  It helped me see a richness in every day life that changed my perspective for the better and has helped me remember to slow down and savor each moment.
This is a book well worth reading and passing on to those special people in your life!
Have a beautiful day! :)


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”