Thrashing About with God: Finding Faith on the Other Side of Everything
Author: Mandy Steward
Publisher: David C. Cook
Release Date: October 1, 2013
About The Author
Mandy Steward is a writer, speaker, and blogger in the midst of
discovering her authentic Christian self. Her writing has appeared in Brio and Breakaway magazines and on
her blog MessyCanvas.com. Her work reflects her life as a wife and mother of
four and her passion for art. She lives with her family in Oklahoma
City.
Tired of Doing the Christian Thing
Are you tired of pretending?
Are you tired of spitting out right answers for others when your own well has gone dry.
Are you tired of thinking the dreams you long to step into aren't holy enough to warrant action?
Are you tired of religiously giving and sacrificing and having nothing left to feed yourself?
Mandy Steward is a pastor's wife, mother of four young children and a talented artist. This is the story of her search for spiritual fulfillment and peace.
Ms. Steward struggles with the expectations that are placed on Christians by the church and society. She questions the beliefs that she was taught as a child. She copes with the guilt, doubt and fear she feels as she questions her faith and her own identity.
Mandy Steward shares her "messy life" and quest to balance her roles as a Christian, wife, mother and artist.
My Thoughts
Ms. Steward has written a heartfelt, thoughtful account of her spiritual and emotional journey over the past several years. She questions almost everything about her life. She comes to the realization that there is nothing wrong with questioning because it is the way a person grows.
It has been several months since I have read a "Christian book." I must warn you that this is not the average book written for Christian women. This book is brutally honest, unvarnished and "messy". The author writes from her heart and expresses a very realistic view of her personal and family life.
I was very impressed by the patience and understanding that was shown by her husband and church family. This young woman is truly blessed to have a loving support system that will allow her to honestly examine her life and follow her dreams.
The good news is that questions lead to understanding and change. This book will inspire women to take a good look at their own situations and see if they are living the life "to the full" that Jesus promises in John 10:10.
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.
A little girl learns that if you want to be a star, you should be happy with who you are. "Twelve Dresses, One Star; A Silly Picture Book About Being Who You Are, by Robert Stanek, is a delightful ebook that will build self-esteem and self-acceptance in young children.
About The Author
Robert Stanek wrote novels for more than ten years before he ever tried to get published.
While he wrote those other books, he wrote many, many
stories and books for his kids, and he collected them for a few decades, until at
his children's urging he set out to get them published for others to enjoy.
Twelve Dresses
A young girl learns that it doesn't matter what you do, what you like or what you wear. The important thing is that you accept yourself and that you "be you, every day, in every way."
The girl is wearing twelve different dresses in the full-page color illustrations. Children will enjoy counting the dresses and comparing the styles and colors.
My Thoughts
I really like the message in this book and I think it is an important concept to teach young children. This book could be used to teach lessons in self-esteem, self-discovery and self-acceptance. Children are never too young to learn that they are special and they are loved just for being themselves.
I viewed this ebook on my Kindle 3 (black and white illustrations) and I was very pleased with the formatting. Each illustration fills the screen and there is one or two lines of text at the bottom of each picture. The illustrations of the young girl are large and the facial expressions are excellent.
I also view the book on my Kindle for PC application (color illustrations). I loved the colorful pictures and it was much easier to distinguish the differences in the twelve dresses in the color pictures.
I think pre-school children will find this ebook fun and entertaining. It is an excellent choice for young girls and boys. I think children will be happy to listen to this story over and over again.
My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5
FYI ~ I ordered this book from Amazon.Com when it was offered as a free digital download. Please check the price before ordering.
Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.
This is the story of one man's spiritual journey in the search for truth and peace. "Peace At The Edge Of Uncertainty" by Neil Hanson, is a memoir of a special time, place and experience in the author's life.
The author writes an open letter to his father who died fifteen years ago. This is a story of self-discovery, acceptance and spiritual growth. It is a story of how a family comes together to make decisions about end-of-life care for their father. Finally, this is a story of the power of love and the awareness that love never ends.
About The Author
Neil Hanson grew up in eastern Kansas. He attended Kansas State University and studied architecture and psychology, graduating in 1976. He spent a year with an engineering firm after graduation before working as a carpenter, truck driver, concrete finisher, salesman, operations manager, computer programmer, and project manager. Today he writes, works with his son running their landscape design and construction company in Colorado, while continuing to work as a project manager in Corporate America.
The Journey Toward Death
The author uses the structure of a letter to tell his story of the final days of his father's life. Many thoughts enter his mind as he sits near his comatose father's hospital bed. The fact that his dad is dying forces him to accept the fact that we are all on a journey toward death. He feels the presence of God in the room as his father quietly leaves this world and enters the next. Mr. Hanson believes this experience helped him come into a deeper awareness of his father's influence in his life. He feels his father's presence more now than ever before.
A Family Coming Together
Mr. Hanson and his siblings were forced to make some difficult end-of-life decisions. They decided to reject feeding tubes, respirators and anything that would prolong their father's life by artificial means. They often sat in silence at their father's side because they could not find words to express their emotions. Each person deals with grief and loss in their own personal way.
"My heart wailed over my failure to express to you the most important things in life, things I had not expressed as I ought to have. While my mind understood very clearly the decisions that you would want me to make on your behalf, the wailing of my heart kept drowning the clarity of this understanding, turning easy and clear decisions into painful wrestling matches within."
This book is about a spiritual journey but has nothing to do with organized religion. The author deals with questions about life, death and the after-life. I found that I could deeply relate to the thoughts and feelings that Mr. Hanson expresses in this book. My father died less than one year ago and I felt many of the same emotions that are expressed in this book. I feel a definite kinship with Mr. Hanson and his family. He opened his heart and expressed things that most people could never put into words.
There might be some who are not willing to delve into the highly personal thoughts of transition and transcendence. If so, this book is not for you. However, if your heart is open and willing to explore new spiritual places, this book will touch your heart in a very special way.
Disclosure: Neil Hanson sent me a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review. Thank you!
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