Three Gifts of Therese of Lisieux: A Book Review

So there's this girl. She lived in a tiny little village in France. Became a nun in her teens. Died in her early twenties of tuberculosis. Nobody famous at the time.

Yet she's known around the world today.

Therese of Lisieux. 

Small but mighty. Quietly humble in a way that's loud and clear. Though I learned about her as a child, it has only been in the past few years that I've come to develop a deeper admiration for her...a friendship with her. In her own words, she is truly "my sister and my friend."

In January, I had the incredible experience to visit the obscure town of Lisieux, France. When I bought my train ticket in Paris, they didn't even know the town. (Of course, that could have been due to my hopelessly American accent!) It was a crazy adventure all by myself, but full of grace and power and lasting memory. When I arrived home and was perusing books to review, I was delighted to find Three Gifts of Therese of Lisieux, by Patrick Ahern. How perfect!

Little did I know how appropriate this book would be for me. By the time it arrived in the mail, I was picking up the pieces of my broken heart and desperately holding onto hope for the future. Who better to keep me company than Therese, the woman who became holy by living one day at a time with complete trust in and absolute surrender to a loving Father? I liked this book because I saw sides of Therese I hadn't seen before-- her strength, her struggle, her commitment to choosing trust in God. I also appreciated the author, Bishop Patrick Ahern, as he explained and related Therese's example and writings to our lives today.

Ready for some pearls?

"Most of us experience fervent feelings at least occasionally, and some of us do so often. The point Therese makes is that holy feelings do not make us holy. What makes us holy is clinging to God's Will even when the lights go off, persevering in prayer even when prayer is dry and distracted."

"Therese never taught us to seek suffering. What she taught us to do was simply to love life the way it is and ourselves the way we are, to love what she called our 'littleness.'"

" [when dying of tuberculosis] 'If I did not suffer minute by minute it would be impossible, but I see only the present moment. I forget the past and take good care not to anticipate the future.' She had long ago learned that the present moment is the only place where peace and strength are found."

Want more info about the book, including author bio, chapter 1, and more? Check out Image Catholic Books.

 [Thank you, Blogging for Books, for allowing me to review this book at no cost. This review contains my honest and original thoughts.]

Barefoot Summer: A Book Review

Barefoot Summer is a novel unfolding the story of Madison, a young woman who decides to enter a sailboat regatta-- despite her intense fear of water-- because winning the regatta was the one wish of her late twin brother. The subplot digs deeper into Madison's fears, past, family life, and her deep-set (although based on false information) prejudice of Beckett, her handsome sailing coach.

I chose this book to read and review because the title sounded fun, refreshing, and adventurous. Though the book has some positive points, it didn't meet my personal expectations. It's written well with beautiful descriptions and depth, but I felt the story was slow and drawn out. Rather than a large cast of characters, much time was spent on just a few characters and I struggled to stay engaged. I love strong female characters in fiction, but I couldn't connect to Madison for some reason.

Final thoughts? Well written book, but not my personal style or expectations for fiction.

[Thank you to BookLook Bloggers for the chance to read and review this novel at no cost. The words in this review are my original and honest thoughts.]

God's Bucket List: A Book Review

I'm pretty sure this is the fastest I've finished a book to review on my blog. This book was absolutely fabulous!


The summary: Though I think the title is just. slightly. cheesy...it also tells the purpose of the book. We all have life lists of things we want to do or accomplish in our lives, but what if we put that same focus and energy into what God would have us do...and in turn become who He wants us to be? Rather than a checklist of actual things to do, as you might think, author Teresa Tomeo actually describes attitudes and mindsets to pursue in each chapter (Live with Passion, Live with Stillness, Live Like You Are Loved).


What I liked: This book was timely and helpful for me, especially the beginning chapters. It's an easy read, yet thought-provoking. You can tell Teresa has a background in news reporting by her writing style but this book had more of a conversational, personal feel to it than a different book I've read by her before. She's honest, humble, and energetic. With each chapter, she had great hands-on ways to improve in living a purposeful, God-centered life. She also includes amazing quotes in the chapters!! I'm a lover of quotes and she knows how to find the good ones!


What I disliked: Certain parts of the book seemed to focus on finding purpose, passion and ministry within a job and using your talents to make a difference in the world by the job you have/create, or by even coming up with a new idea or organization. While I do think this is inspiring and important, it wasn't particularly so for me because right now I feel overwhelmingly busy with both jobs and am trying to seek more personal time. In some ways, I felt guilty that I don't have an all-consuming passion for my job (and just want to be a wife and mom!). I know Teresa has great respect for any way that we live for God, big or small, so it was simply my perception or sensitivity rather than her writing.


Favorite part from the book: Hmm...I really liked the following chapters: Live with Stillness, Live in the Mess, Live with Instruction, Live with Understanding. But I got something out of every chapter...final thoughts: I would definitely recommend this book!


More info or want to buy it? Visit here.


Want to read about the author? Visit here.


[I received this book from Blogging for Books at no cost in exchange for a review. These are my honest and original comment regarding the book.]

Wisdom for Wednesdays

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point."

-C.S. Lewis

Wisdom for Wednesdays

"We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best."

-Philip James Bailey

Words

I'm curled up on my bed with my laptop, you know, on top of my lap. (ha. funny.) I'm reading Pinterest quotes. All the good ones I've pinned into my quotes folder. For times like these. For nights like these.


When I forget who I am. When I see my sin and selfishness and I'm overwhelmed. When I feel the weight of unfulfilled desires, unchecked to-do lists, and unprocessed emotions. When I'm convinced I'm stagnant, boring, empty, worthless. When guilt and discouragement blind me.


I sank into the chair earlier. Desperate for prayer yet distant from Him at the same time. I leaned my head back and rested for a moment. My mind was silent then jolted awake by my heart speaking to God unexpectedly.


Do you want me? it asked, pleaded, as two crocodile tears slipped down my cheeks unbidden. I was startled by my heart's cry. It wasn't what I had come to pray about.


But perhaps it was the root of my struggles.


Did I believe in a Father who loved me--liked me even--and wanted me, as His child, as His beloved? Or did I believe I was simply His servant--His slave?--who never was good enough, never quite who she wanted to be, so perhaps not who He wanted her to be either?


I see it written out and I know the truth. I know it in my mind. But my heart doesn't grasp it sometimes.


So I'm reminding my heart tonight. And you know, I think God uses even Pinterest to speak to us sometimes.


{And yes, of course I'll share my quotes board with you!}

N.A.S.-- Beauty

This week's topic for the N.A.S. blog group is beauty. That elusive, misunderstood, coveted quality that we're all seeking whether we admit it or not. And honestly? Our seeking for it uncovers a deeper desire for the One who is Beauty itself. I'm a lover of the good, the true, and the beautiful...but God is the very definition of each one of those! So as I seek these qualities, I need to remember HE is the source of them, and He wants to be found.


As for my thoughts on beauty as it applies to women, here's an interview I did for another blog not too long ago on this very topic: Questions of the Heart; Answers of Real Women.


[Shhhh. I know. I'm cheating this week. I'm not writing anything new. I'm recycling an old post! But hey, I'm also introducing you to a new blogger friend!]


See you next week!