Third time's the charm: three great books you need to read!

I keep having the overwhelming feeling I need to share these three books with you. They are all very special to me for different reasons. I've read them over the last few months and I know you will enjoy them.

The first book is called: 

"Covenant Motherhood" 
by Stephanie Dibb Sorensen

This is a great book! Honestly, I usually don't like books about Motherhood. I hate them actually. They usually leave me feeling very depressed and even more like a total failure than I felt before I read the book. I'm not like other mothers and my children just aren't like other children. No one can realistically measure up to the expectations of the motherhood books I've read before --not to mention an LDS motherhood book! No way! I've made it a point to steer clear.  UNTIL THIS BOOK. Why? Well, quite frankly, I'm very privileged to know the author personally and well, she is nothing short of  awesome. (Seriously!) She is so real and honest in this book. I love her insight and personal stories. She is very funny in a sarcastic kind of way (my favorite kind of way).

This book is THE FIRST book about motherhood that actually made me feel BETTER about what I'm doing and why I am doing it. I was a bit intimidated by the subtitle of the book, "Reflecting the Role of Christ in our Lives." (as well as the title), I was sure I'd never measure up, but I thought, "It has to be good, Stephanie wrote it. I'll at least give it a try." She was able to help me understand how important everything I do as a mother truly is -- from loving and teaching my children, to washing the dishes and changing dirty diapers (yes!). She helped me to feel enabled and exalted simply because I am a mother. I felt Christ's love for me and my ability to share that love with my children as I care for them. Why? In many instances, I'm ALREADY DOING the things she says are Christ-like. Wow!! Talk about a self-esteem booster!!! You mean, what I'm doing is enough? It is! As we are prayerful and have the right attitude and give it our best effort,  we are serving our children in the same manner Christ serves all of us. It is so inspiring! I really cannot convey how beautifully she explains it. I have felt such a great peace since reading this book. Thank you, Stephanie!

If you want to read more about Motherhood and how cool Stephanie is, you can check out her blog at: Diapers and Divinity

Okay, the second book is called:

"My Walk Thru Heaven" by Kim Rives

This is one of those books that really takes you by surprise. It's a life beyond death experience that will inspire you to love more and forgive freely. She is such an amazing person! I am truly inspired by her ability to forgive others. She has been through so much in her life. Her story is about her fight against cancer. I felt very connected to her because of my sister and her own fight against cancer (sadly, my sister lost that battle in February 2005). 

I don't want to say too much about the story to give away all the details -- you have to read it for yourself. I will say it left me feeling closer to the Savior than ever before and with an increased desire to be a better person. One of the more light-hearted parts of the story is the song she writes after one of her visits to her doctor -- it made me laugh right out loud. Kim has a great sense of humor in spite of all that she has been through -- it may even be part of what helped her through it. 

Ironically, as with Stephanie, I also know Kim personally. She is a member of my ward and she is simply AMAZING -- so kind and loving, her smile radiates a glow around her entire being. I love to talk with her and hear her sing. She is an angel here on earth and I am so grateful to know her. It is no coincidence that Heavenly Father put her in my life at this time. She has helped me to feel His peace and to find joy in my life. Thank you, Kim!

To learn more about Kim and her story, you can go to:

Kim Rives

Finally, the third book is called:

"When Life Gets Hard" by Meg Johnson

Kim Rives is the one who introduced me to this great book and I'm so thankful she let me borrow her copy. Now, I don't know Meg personally, but I would love to meet her! Several friends of mine DO know her and she is also AMAZING! Why is it amazing people have been through so much?

Helen Keller once said, "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

I would consider Meg a person of extraordinary character considering the trials and suffering she has been through (though I'm told by a friend of mine who went to high school with her she was ALREADY amazing before her accident!)

For a sneak peek of this book, here is the blurb on the book jacket (What are those called?):

"You wanted more. You got less.
You wanted this. You got that.
You wanted there. You got here.
You already know that things in life don’t go exactly as planned.
And sometimes they go terribly, terribly wrong . . . .

You already know that things in life don't go exactly as planned. And sometimes they go terribly, terribly wrong ...

Meg Johnson came to this life-changing realization seven years ago when she fell off a cliff in Southern Utah - a fall that left her a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. And though she sits for the rest of her mortal life, she stands tall with a message for her brothers and sisters of all abilities. When life gets too hard to stand, just keep on rollin'!

In this motivating and inspiring talk, When Life Gets Hard ..., motivational speaker and author Meg Johnson shares insights from her life that will make you laugh, cry, and rest assured that when your life gets tough, you, too, can keep on rollin'!"

Wow!! She definitely KEEPS ON ROLLIN'! Her book is so inspiring. Yes, she fell of a cliff and became paralyzed, but she talks about how much more devastating SPIRITUAL PARALYSIS is and more importantly, HOW TO AVOID IT!

I love books that tell you in exact detail how to do something (do this, then this, and this). She talks about avoiding and closing up Satan's gaps and holes along our path of life that can trap us and leave us spiritually paralyzed. She teaches us about the importance of 

GAPS

(Gratitude-Attitude-Prayer-Service)

vital tools to keep us safe from Satan's influence in our life. This book is such a fun read. I mean, it's absolutely horrible to think of what happened to her and all that she went through. I cried for her. I cried for me and my own ungratefulness in my truly blessed life. I need to do better and look at all the blessings that are everywhere around me. One of my favorite parts was her telling about a time when it was raining and she fell out of her wheelchair and found herself on the ground in a puddle with a frail old lady trying to help her up. I love how she told the story. Meg's honesty and humor is truly enjoyable and comes through in her writing. Thank you, Meg, I hope to meet you someday!

You can read more about Meg on her blog: 

Meg Johnson Speaks

and you can also follow her on Facebook (she just had a baby!)
I hope you can find these books at your library or find them online. I want to get a copy of each to add to my personal library. I also think any one of these would make a great gift!
HAPPY READING!

Kefir Who?

Okay, so blogger is being SO slow lately... or I am just extra impatient. Sorry everyone, I just can't seem to find a minute to sit down and blog this summer.
Just a quick post here...
This stuff has seriously given me a NEW life. My Aunt Barbara recommended it to me during the 4th of July weekend. THANK YOU!!! I have had stomach problems ALL of my life and nothing has really helped it until.... KEFIR!!! I have not been sick for almost 3 weeks now!

I used to get sick about every other day from different foods I would eat. If I got sick, it would last for a few days at least. I've always been told I have an ulcer or I can't handle greasy/spicy foods or that I should get checked to see if I have diverticulitis or irritable bowel syndrome or even a gluten intolerance. My symptoms have always been inconsistent with any of these problems. And chocolate KILLS me. :( Well, I ate THREE OREOS yesterday and I feel fine. This actually could be a bad thing...

Before, I would just avoid the foods that made me sick, but over the last couple years that list is growing while my incidences of sickness were greatly increasing. I have been so sick this last year and especially the last 6 months that it has been interfering with daily activities and definitely dictating what I do (and don't do). Now, I haven't immediately re-introduced every irritating food back in my diet yet, no way, I am not that crazy. I'm going to take it slow and maybe in a few months I might be able to have a taste of what I have been craving most: SALAD!

I have more energy than I've had in years. My digestive system has been out of balance to say the least and Kefir can help restore the balance. It helps you digest your food, which I know my body hasn't been doing well. If a food made me sick, I would know it about 10 minutes after eating it. Oh, the avocado egg rolls at Aggy's Sports Grill still give me nightmares!

But, start out slowly... it made my stomach feel so good I drank too much the first four days and I broke out in a SERIOUS rash. YIKES! Now I am drinking about 4 ounces every 3 days and I hope to increase it as my body can tolerate it.

What is Kefir? In a nutshell, some SERIOUS probiotic yogurt-type stuff.

This is the kind I have tried, I like the blueberry. I got it in the organic section of our local Smith's Marketplace. $3.49 for 32 ounces.

Seriously, I feel like a NEW person! Dear Aunt Barbara, I owe you BIG TIME!!!!!!:)

Okay, gotta go, Kaia and Beck were tucked into bed and they just came downstairs... AGAIN!

Compassion and a Question

This is a wonderful story that has been circulating through emails for awhile. I had forgotten about it and my sister-in-law shared it with me again. Thanks, Dani! I love this story so much I want to share it with you! I truly believe that we are here to help each other and we can make a big difference in someone's life. (You might want to get a tissue handy...)

There is a nine-year-old boy sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there
is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks
that his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this
has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they will never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, "Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat."

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her
eyes that says he has been discovered. As the teacher is walking toward
him, a classmate names Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with
water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl
of water in the boy's lap. The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while
is saying to himself, "Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!"

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the
object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym
shorts to put on while his pants dry out... All the other children are on
their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is
wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been
his has been transferred to someone else - Susie. She tries to help, but
they tell her to get out. "You've done enough, You clutz!"

Finally at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy
walks over to Susie and whispers, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Susie whispers back, "I wet my pants once too."

WE ARE THE ANSWER TO EACH OTHERS' PRAYERS EVERY DAY, WHEN WE SHOW COMPASSION.

I hope I can be the answer to someone's prayer today. I hope others will show compassion to me.

Okay, now I'm whining...

I'm stressing a bit right now... I need some advice. I used to be the type of person that if someone is bugging me, I go right to that person and try in a nice way to explain what I'm upset about. You know, try to work it out and let them know how I feel? Well, the problem is I've had that backfire horribly a few times and now I'm pretty hesitant to "say what I need to say".

Instead, I've been taking my problems to Heavenly Father in prayer and for the most part just trying to love people more and smile at those who frustrate me. It has worked really well for minor things and one-time misunderstandings and I'm ashamed to admit that I usually realize that I was the one at fault. Even if my mistake was just assuming something. Never assume anything.

However, I've really been having trouble getting along with someone for over 3 or 4 years now. I try to be patient and just "walk it off" but there have been several times that have become much more frequent lately that I feel like she is putting me down and well, quite frankly, being BEYOND very rude. She talks over the top of me when we're with a group of women and if I have to change my plans she gets really upset and acts like it's the end of the world and I'm a complete idiot. She treats me like I am not capable of doing my part, that she has to hold my hand and put up with me. (Maybe I am all this, but again, I've tried to look past her quirks and issues and make it work.) After this weekend, I'm ready to be done with our friendship altogether. (Again, I tend to be dramatic if you didn't already know.) Zeke says I'm being prideful, which I know is true. I don't care what she thinks of me, but at the same time, I don't have to deal with her, do I?

What would you do?