Overcoming Adversity and Finding Purpose in Life - One Step Closer

 Title: One Step Closer; How a Life-Altering Accident Led Me To Everything I Almost Missed

Author: Ryan S. Atkins

Publisher: Binturong Books

Publication Date: November 19, 2020

Length: 214 Pages

Black and White Photographs

About the Author
After flipping multiple times across the highway left him paralyzed below the neck, Ryan Atkins began sharing hope and inspiration with the growing community on his blog "Flat on My Back". He has made it his mission to learn what it means to live with purpose no matter the circumstances.

Successful College Student Faces Life-Altering Car Accident
Ryan Atkins was on the path to graduate from the University of Cincinnati when a 2009 car accident left him paralyzed below the neck. This memoir gives the reader a glimpse into Ryan's life over the years since the accident. Mr. Atkins hoped and prayed for physical healing and regaining his ability to walk, but this was not to be. However, he gained insight and purpose for his life through his faith in Jesus Christ and the support of his friends and family. 

My Thoughts
I liked this book very much. I read it over a period of two days and found it difficult to put down. Ryan is a real overcomer. He had many difficult experiences in his treatment and recovery, but he never gave up. 

I love the way this accident brought a young lady who was Ryan's second-grade classmate back into his life. Their relationship grew over time and she played a vital role in Ryan's life. 

Mr. Atkins is an avid reader and believes the following words of Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl helped him move forward in his life; "If you find a why, then you can bear any how."
If you find your purpose, then you can overcome any challenge that life throws at you.

This book made me smile. I am so happy for the many successes in this young man's life. 

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF FIVE

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: Never Feel Old Again by Raymond Francis

Never Feel Old Again: Aging Is a Mistake--Learn How to Avoid It (Never Be)

Author: Raymond Francis

Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.

Release Date: October 1, 2013





About The Author
Raymond Francis is an internationally recognized leader in the field of optimal-health maintenance. At the age of 76, Raymond Francis is president of Beyond Health International, a supplier of highly advanced health education and world class health-supporting products to the public.

Getting Old Is Not For Sissies!
Raymond Francis believes the body ages as a result of accumulated repair deficits, or a lack of maintenance. He says the passage of time alone does not explain what happens to our bodies. What we think of as "aging" is a man-made disease that is preventable and even reversible. The author believes everyone can live to a healthy old age and no one needs to become feeble and die in a nursing home.

Mr. Francis endorses the Beyond Health Model which employs the following six pathways; 

• The Nutrition Pathway
• The Toxin Pathway
• The Mental Pathway
• The Physical Pathway
• The Genetic Pathway
• The Medical Pathway

This book provides valuable advice on how to change old habits and start living a healthy lifestyle. The author believes you can live a strong, purposeful, active, drug-free and disease-free life well into your hundreds!

My Thoughts
This book offers an amazing amount of information. The author has done his research and is very passionate about natural healing and reversing the aging process.

I found the information in this book very interesting but I know it will be a real challenge for me to make the changes in my life that Mr. Frances recommends. The author acknowledges that "habits and addictions are real obstacles to any positive change in your life". However, I think any major lifestyle change begins with a series of small steps. I think the information in this book will inspire me to eat healthier foods, lose some weight and increase my physical activity.

This book will give you many things to think about. You might not agree with everything the author suggests, but I am pretty sure you will find many helpful tips that will improve your health and quality of life.

They say that "getting old is not for sissies!" This book will give you a new understanding of the aging process and provide information that will help you age with dignity and grace.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a digital preview copy of this book from NetGalley.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Children's Book Review and Giveaway: Scribbleville

Scribbleville

Written and Illustrated by Peter Holwitz

Philomel Books, 2005

ISBN: 0-399-24303-8

 

About the Author

Peter Holwitz is a published author and an illustrator of children's books. Some of the published credits of Peter Holwitz include Scribbleville, Stick Kid, and The Big Blue Spot.

Everyone Is The Same In Scribbleville

Scribbleville is a pleasant little town where everyone and everything is scribbled. The people have scribbled houses, scribbled pets and they walk with wiggles. There is not a single straight line in Scribbleville.

One day, a stranger moves into town and Scribbleville is never the same. The newcomer is straight, not scribbled, and drives a big yellow truck that is as straight as a stick. The man builds a perfectly straight house with a white picket fence around the yard. The people in Scribbleville are shocked and upset.

Wherever he went, the people would stare.

"Look at his clothes." "Who cuts his hair?"

"He doesn't fit in. He looks all wrong.

Should someone tell him he doesn't belong?"

The Scribblers shun the newcomer with the straight house and the straight picket fence. Then a woman walks up to the straight man's fence and begins to talk to him. She has a big scribbled smile and a red scribbled dress. They soon become friends. The folks in Scribbleville are furious.

"I admit", she said, as her

scribbled head shook.

"on the outside he's odd, but

that's not where I look."

Children are often the first to accept changes. A youngster in school draws a picture that is part scribble and part straight. A teacher wears a straight tie around his scribbled neck. Soon the kids begin to wear straight lines too.

It's tough to say - to pick one day.

Things never change overnight.

But before too long, what once felt wrong,

Started to feel a bit right.

The stranger isn't strange anymore. He marries the woman in the red scribbled dress. They have two kids...one is scribbled and one is not. Now, Scribbleville is a town where everyone fits in.

My Thoughts

I really like this book. It deals with prejudice, racism, change, acceptance, tolerance and friendship. These are all social issues that children must deal with on a daily basis. This book is written in rhyme and reminds me of the way Dr. Seuss would deal with social issues in a light-hearted manner.

The scribbled illustrations are excellent and children should be encouraged to create their own scribbled drawings. These illustrations really make this book unique and wonderful.

Scribbleville is about accepting other people who are different than the majority. They might be a different race, have a disability or speak with a foreign accent. The world would be a better place if every town would follow the example of Scribbleville. I highly recommend this book for children of all ages.

Book Giveaway

Would you like to have your very own copy of Scribbleville? I found this book at a Friends of the Library sale and would like to pass along my good fortune to one of my blog readers. This is a former library book. The front blank page has been removed and the word "DISCARD" is stamped on the title page and inside the back cover. The name of the library has been marked out.

This book is out-of-print and somewhat difficult to find at a reasonable price.

You must do the following TWO things to enter this contest;

(1.) Leave a COMMENT in the Comments Section of this blog post and include your email address so that I will have a way to contact the winner.

(2.) FOLLOW this blog with Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs.

(3.) Each entrant must be at least 18 years old...Only ONE entry per person.

(4.) This contest is worldwide. I will ship the book via USPS Priority mail at my expense.

I will randomly draw a winner from all the blog comments at noon (Central Time) on Tuesday, May 15. I will email the winner and that person will have 48 hours to respond by sending me their shipping address. If I don't get a reply from the winner, I will choose another name on Friday, May 18. I will announce the winner of the contest on this blog the following week.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.